


People Who are Important: Book One

by XxReighxX



Series: People Who Are Important [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventual Sex, F/M, Major Character Injury, Original Character(s), Romance, Slow Romance, Teen Romance, Underage Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 03:38:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 114,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15963899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxReighxX/pseuds/XxReighxX
Summary: COMPLETE! One day I will be accepted too…I will fight for those who are important to me…brother…sister…and maybe one day friends..I will….me..Sabaku no Gaara...**I wrote this fic when I was much younger (originally posted in 2007 on my ff.net account), but even though it's an oldie, it's a goodie. It's one of my favorite stories that I've written. Enjoy!**





	1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

July 08: Minor Edits

Prologue

Cold, clear green eyes stared blankly up at the hospital ceiling. The attack on Konoha had failed, and he had just returned to Suna with his two siblings. The fight had taken so much out of him, not just physically, but mentally as well. Uzumaki Naruto…he thought to himself. A boy who despite his fear, would do anything to protect the ones he loved.

(flashback)

"They're my friends! And if you hurt them any more, I'll kick your sorry ass!" the young blond boy exclaimed. His bright blue eyes were overwhelmed by anger, concern, and determination.

'Why does he want to protect these people so badly?' the Suna shinobi thought. Naruto's eyes blazed with fury as they fixed on the young girl passed out on the tree. The shinning blue orbs then turned to his raven haired friend laying exhausted on the ground. The more he saw his friends suffer, the stronger his resolve to defeat Shukaku's host became.

(end)

The twelve year old "monster of Suna" remembered clearly how vehemently his blond opponent had fought to protect Uchiha Sasuke and his Sakura-chan. Even as he fought the Konoha ninja, the red haired boy could not help but admire Naruto's courage. His strength came from the love he had for those important to him. It was with that strength that Uzumaki Naruto had beaten all odds and defeated "Suna's ultimate weapon". The blond shinobi understood the pain of being a monster… of being an outcast in his own village. He had felt rejection of the villagers who thought of him as nothing more than a demon. He saw people run away from him in fear, and forbid their children to socialize with him because of the Nine-tails sealed inside. He suffered for a long time, alone, but he found people to accept and love him. He did everything in his power to protect those people. At first, the demon of Suna could not understand this immense desire to protect others. Now, however, it made more sense to him. Protecting the ones he loved is what made Naruto strong. Perhaps it was the blonde's understanding of his pain that made Gaara calculate these words.

(flashback)

"I understand your pain so much it hurts," the young blond boy said. His big blue eyes shined with pain that the monster of the sand knew all to well. Naruto continued to drag his exhausted body closer to the opposing shinobi.

"But those people saved me from that hell. They accepted me as I was and acknowledged my existence. I won't let you hurt them, even if I have to kill you," his weary, yet determined voice declared. His eyes showed his tired state, but they were so strong. He was so strong, all because of them. Friends…people who are important.

(end)

The shinobi's pale green eyes glanced around his stark white hospital room. He was attached to a few machines, and was covered in a thin sheet. The walls were so white that the light from the intense sun of Sunagakure became blinding against it. It smelled of sickness, medication, and sanitizer. The young nurse in the room moved quickly and efficiently. His black rimmed eyes fell on her. He hesitated a moment, unsure or more afraid of what her reaction would be to his voice.

"Water," he managed to say. The young woman nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. Her wide, frightened brown eyes turned on him. A little sting in his heart caused him to turn away. He hated it when people reacted like that to him. Granted, he'd created his own reputation after he'd decided that he was alone, and he could trust no one. But, he wasn't always that way. He was once an innocent child, however far off and distant the memory was. They had always reacted to him the same; even when he just wanted to be normal. Even before he started to hate them they looked down on him.

He'd began to hate them after the betrayal of his uncle. After his uncle, the one person he thought hadn't hated him, tried to kill him. Yashamaru's dying words ultimately turned this young ninja into a monster. They were hateful words, the one who said he didn't hate him, had truthfully hated him all along. The young boy let his dark lids fall over his cold eyes. 'I don't want to be feared anymore,' he thought as the nurse scrambled out of the room. He opened his eyes and let them wander over to the open window. A slight, dry breeze wafted into the room rustling the mess of red hair on his head. The hot sun blazed down on Suna today, just like most days.

'Is there no chance of redemption for me? Will I always be feared as an unstable monster?' he thought. An image of the blond shinobi who'd unknowingly changed his life flashed through his thoughts.

'One day I will be accepted too…I will fight for those who are important to me…brother…sister…and maybe one day friends..I will….me..Sabaku no Gaara,' he thought as the nurse nervously flitted in and out of the room. She left a glass of water in her wake. He watched as a small droplet of water traveled the length of the glass, then picked it up and drank. 'One day…'

a/n: REVIEWS PLEASE! 


	2. The Hospital

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: Well, here's the first chapter. Enjoy! please review! I'd like to know if you like it. :)

Chapter 1

Gaara laid on the soft hospital bed with his eyes closed. He'd been there for a little over two days just biding his time until the doctors deemed him fit to leave. Of course Shukaku had healed the most serious damage, but the demon had stopped helping out as soon as Gaara's life was no longer in danger. Something about he shouldn't have to do everything for him. Not that the doctors really cared; if not for his sister Temari breathing down their necks to do their jobs correctly, he was sure the doctors would have discharged him already. It didn't matter to them whether he lived or died. He knew most of them would rather he just die, so his presence couldn't plague their village anymore. His thoughts were disrupted as his sensitive shinobi ears picked up some soft murmuring in the hall.

"Young lady I have to insist you don't go in there," he heard a man's voice say from the hall. He heard a girl grunt in response. There was some more murmuring from the hallway he couldn't quite make out. He kept his aqua eyes shut in hopes that whoever they were, they'd just go away. He wasn't really in the mood for any visits from the doctor today. It was silent for a few moments. Then Temari's voice broke in.

"Listen doctor! You've given me no choice. Since you and your staff refuse to treat Gaara properly I brought in someone of my own choice!" she said in a raised, irritated voice. The doctor was silent. Nobody questioned Temari when she was angry. Gaara didn't even question her when she was angry anymore. She could be more frightening than him at times, which is what he learned from actually paying attention to his family for a change. He'd also learned that Kankurou was a little bit of a prevert. (yes i said prevert) Gaara heard the door open, but did not open his eyes. He felt Temari's presence, her aura was worried, and hesitant. He knew why.

"I am awake," he stated with his eyes closed, and immediately felt his sister relax. He felt another person come up to him. It was a woman, a girl, who approached him confidently. He opened his icy eyes to stare at a young lady with dark chocolate hair pulled into a messy bun slightly to the side of her head, and intelligent navy eyes. A few rogue wisps of hair danced gently in the breeze from the open window. She was an inch or two shorter than Temari, and looked about his age. She looked down at him disinterestedly and began to do her job. Temari stood in the background and watched the young girl go to work on her brother.

"No fever, his lungs sound okay, and his heart is beating normally. Do me a favor and follow my finger with your eyes," she said professionally. She held a slim finger out and moved it from side to side. It was standard for a checkup, and he'd gotten used to checkups over the past two days. That was all the doctors really did for him. They usually got out as fast as they could, leaving him alone for the rest of the day.

The young girl stopped, and wrote down her findings on the clipboard. She proceeded to shine a flashlight into both of his eyes. After finishing, she looked down at the clipboard and wrote down whatever it was doctors write on those things. She then took his blood pressure, his height, and weight.

"You should eat more. You're thin for your height," she said bluntly.

He glared at her as furiously as he could muster with his injuries. She didn't even bat an eyelash as she had him sit on the bed once again. Gaara continued to glare down a the rude girl, and even harder when she started to touch his leg. Her warm hands pressed and rubbed against his pale shin, all the way up to his thigh noting every time he hissed, or slightly flinched away from her. She did the same to his arms, and after she was finished she recorded her findings on the board. The young girl looked down at him from her clipboard with a dismissive look in her dark blue eyes, and then turned to Temari.

"How is he Shia?" his sister asked. The girl next to him looked down at her charts.

"Well, he doesn't have any internal damage to his organs. There are a few scattered fractures along his left shin, and his right wrist is sprained. His vision and reflexes seem to be working perfectly, meaning there was no damage to his brain. That's a good sign, it means there's no concussion. Other than those injuries he's good. There may be a few muscle pulls thrown in there, but they'll heal within a few days. I recommend he stay in the hospital for at least five more days so I can treat him, and after that bed rest," Shia said. Gaara laid back down in the bed not really caring what was wrong with him, or what this girl had to say. He closed his eyes again trying to tune the two women in the room out. Shia turned to the doctor with a fierce look in her eyes.

"I've got a question for you doctor. Why is it that this boy has been here two days already, yet his leg hasn't been properly splinted, and his wrist hasn't been wrapped? There's nothing in his file to show he's been checked over at all. Seems like time enough don't you think?" she said in an annoyed tone. Shia hated it when people didn't do what they were supposed to do. She didn't understand why the doctor disliked the redhead so much; nor did she really care too much. A patient is a patient, and they should all be treated accordingly. The doctor looked at her with irritation.

"How would you know anything? You're just a little kid," he said angrily. She lifted a brow at him.

"Oh, you're right. Perhaps you have some adult reason why the necessary actions have not been taken," she retorted. He glared at her, and she just stared evenly back at him.

"You don't understand what that child is young lady. You're not from around here, so you wouldn't know why most of the staff doesn't want to be in this room," he answered with a hint of disgust in his voice. Gaara's green eyes opened up to glare at the doctor from his hospital bed. He saw the young, 'nurse?', he was guessing turn her dark eyes on him, and then look back at the doctor.

"No, apparently there is something I'm missing. Perhaps you can explain it to me," she said. The doctor glared fiercely at her, hatred burning in his eyes. The girl didn't even blink. Her lack of fear seemed to anger the doctor further, who turned his hateful glare to Gaara.

"That boy is a monster! A murderer! He kills to satisfy himself and that beast locked inside of him!" the doctor yelled at the girl. Gaara hmfd' and turned his eyes back to the girl who had inclined her head to the left slightly. Her expression was thoughtful, as she turned her dark blue eyes on him. He glared, she didn't budge. The brunette turned her gaze back to the doctor.

"It doesn't matter what he is. A patient is a patient. As a doctor you're supposed to put your personal feelings aside in order to save lives. I don't know what you're going on about, and frankly I don't care. It's not my business. My job is simply to come here and do what you and your staff should have already done. You're dismissed from this patient doctor, please leave," she said offhandedly. Temari smiled in the corner as the doctor glared again.

"What right do you have to dismiss me from anything you little brat!? You're just a kid, you have no authority over me!" he shouted. The brunette raised her hand up waving it as if shooing him. Her expression was now annoyed. She just turned away from the doctor and back to Temari who turned her green gaze on the doctor.

"I think you'll find she does. She's been sent from Konoha on a mission to heal Gaara. So you are no longer permitted in this room," the blond said. The doctor's eyes burned with hatred, but he trudged, defeated, out of the room. Temari turned back to Shia, motioning for her to continue speaking.

"I will stay here for tonight, and tomorrow morning, but tomorrow night I have to leave for Konoha. The Hokage's funeral will be taking place in three days. After I will return here to give your brother another check up, when I think I'll probably be able to send him home," Shia explained. Temari nodded. She hadn't known the Hokage was killed.

She felt a twinge of guilt. No one had known that Orochimaru killed the Kazekage and plotted the destruction of Konoha. Since the invasion, Konoha and Suna had allied against the Sound village. Suna sent some of their chunnin and genin to help with the reconstruction of Konoha, and Konoha had lent Temari a medical ninja for their injured. She still remembered standing with Kankurou and delivering to Konoha's council Suna's formal apology.

(flashback)

"The council, and citizens of Sunagakure no Sato would like to extend their sincere apologies for their recent actions of betrayal. We were under orders from the Kazekage to destroy Konohagakure, it wasn't until recently that we realized we had been deceived. My brother and I would like to, on behalf of the council of Sunagakure, offer our allegiance against the village of the Sound," Temari said while respectfully bowing her head to Konoha's village elders. She glanced at Kankurou briefly, who nodded and smiled, signifying she had worded her apology perfectly.

"We accept your apology, and your alliance," the leader said. Temari rose, and nodded at the old man.

"Suna will be sending some of our shinobi to aid you in the reconstruction of your village," the young blond said. The elder nodded, and gave her a polite smile.

"If there is anything we can do for Suna, let us know," he said, the tension in the room being lifted, as the alliance continued to be accepted. Temari nodded, and let her mind wander to her youngest brother. He was laying in the hospital at Suna at that very moment. She knew that the doctors weren't doing all they could to help him. She also knew most of them were hoping for him to die. She looked back at the elder.

"Actually, if you could spare us a medical ninja. I know they must be busy after what happened, but my brother is injured pretty badly, and our doctors lack…the...experience to help him," she said, not wanting to reveal too much. The elder looked to his colleagues and nodded.

"Most of our medics are busy with our injured, but I do believe we have one we can spare. She's young, but don't let that fool you, her clan is one well known for its medical ninjutsu. She's all we can spare for the moment," he said. Temari nodded, and he had a messenger send word to a girl he said was named Shia.

(flashback end)

"I'm sorry for your loss," Temari said, allowing guilt to enter her voice. The young medical-nin just smiled at her.

"You're already forgiven," Shia said, turning back to Gaara, who was just staring emotionlessly from his sister to the girl.

The doctor had left, and he could see the young medical-nin visibly relax. She moved closer to him, lifting his wrist and turning it gently in her hands as if it were a delicate piece of glass. He just glared at her. He didn't trust strangers, but he allowed her inspection of his condition because Temari trusted her, and because Temari was still in the room. He wanted to show his siblings he trusted them. He wanted them to know they were special to him without having to say it just yet. Yes, he wanted to change, but change takes time, and frankly he was still uncomfortable letting people in. He saw the girl nod and back away.

"Alright, I'm going to grab what I need from the storage closet, and I'll be back," she said, walking swiftly out of the room. She was in a hurry, but not because she was scared of him. That was new. She was sincerely concerned for him as a patient, and it was something that he was not used to. It bothered him.

"Gaara I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, she's trustworthy. She's young, but her records show she's never lost a patient. According to Konoha, her clan is known for medical ninjutsu," Temari explained. He didn't answer her. He just stared at her with an uncaring look. Temari just smiled and closed her eyes. 'At least Kankurou and I can relax knowing Gaara will get proper care,' she thought. She heard Shia's soft, hurried footsteps enter the room.

"Alright, I'm ready," she said, looking down at him. She didn't miss the cautious look in his icy eyes.

"Oh, um…I'm sorry. I guess I never introduced myself. My name is Akito Shia, what's yours?" she asked politely. He just stared at her coolly for a few moments. After twenty seconds he saw her shift nervously. Quickly he looked up at her face, searching for that familiar emotion that everyone who encountered him felt. A few seconds passed as he searched her expression.

No fear, not one ounce of fear in her navy eyes. She smiled at him, a little confused. He just tilted his head to the side slightly, like a confused dog. Someone was smiling at him, and it wasn't one of his siblings. It baffled him a little. He finally came to his senses as he heard Temari clear her throat. Gaara decided he didn't care about this girl's reasons for smiling at him, and just turned his head away. He heard her chuckle slightly.

"Okay, that's fine, you don't have to tell me. Just let me see your leg," she said. He didn't look at her, but he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and felt her binding something flat and straight to the injured one. She then wrapped his wrist and sighed out a long breath after she was finished. Gaara's cool eyes turned back on her. She smiled again, and he just glared.

"Alright, all finished. I'll be back tomorrow morning to check up on you," Shia said walking over to Temari. Gaara lay back in his bed and shut his eyes. He heard the girls talking quietly, but tuned them out, deciding he had no interest in their conversation.

"So what do you think?" Temari said, eying the younger girl carefully.

"What do you mean?" Shia asked, walking slowly next to the blond.

"My brother, he will make a full recovery?" Temari asked, concerned. Shia smiled up at the older teenager.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. As long as he cooperates with me, and no one tampers with the treatment. Once he's out, he'll need a full week of bed rest, during which I suggest you coax him to eat more, he's very thin. I know you said he doesn't sleep, that's fine as long as he stays in bed. After that, he'll need two weeks of physical therapy to get his healing body used to his shinobi lifestyle. Then everything should be great. The week after he finishes the therapy he can start light training, I'll supervise all of this, but after the healing time is over, he'll be as good as new," the young medical-nin explained. Temari felt a sense of relief wash through her.

"Thank you for helping us. I know he can be rude, but it's just his way of protecting himself," Temari said, feeling a need to apologize for Gaara's coldness towards Shia.

"No, it's okay. I don't understand or know much about him, but I can tell he's been through a lot. I can handle a little coldness. He's not the first rude patient I've ever had," she said. Temari smiled as they stopped in front of the hotel.

"I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I'll introduce you to my other brother. He's a little eccentric, but I'm sure you'll get along," she said. Shia nodded and proceeded into the hotel. Once in her room, she took a shower, brushed her teeth, and let herself fall into the soft bed the council was paying for.

With Gaara

Gaara lay awake, staring out of the hospital window into the night. The moonlight streamed in lighting his face with a soft blue-silver glow. Another night without sleep. Another night in this stupid hospital. He heard a nurse come in, but didn't look her way. The sound of a glass clinking against the bedside table broke the silence, then the soft click of the door closing. He turned and picked up the glass, putting it to his lips and allowing the cool liquid to run down his dry throat. When he was finished, he lay back down to stare out the window again.


	3. Poisoned?

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

 

Chapter 2

KNOCK..KNOCK..KNOCK…KNOCK! 'Leave me alone…' Shia thought in her sleep. The banging continued against the door. Flipping over, the young girl pressed a pillow over her ears. KNOCK…KNOCK..KNOCK! The bangs were furious and frequent. Shia opened her weary eyes to stare at the digital clock on the nightstand. 3:00am! 'Oh dear Kami! I am going to kill whoever it is at that door!' she thought angrily. Shia was not a morning person, and most definitely not a 3am morning person!

"Shia! Please wake up! It's urgent!" she heard Temari's voice scream in between the banging. The young brunette dragged herself out of the comfortable bed, and threw a robe over her short nightdress. The banging only intensified as Temari's voice got more desperate.

"SHIA! There's something wrong at the hospital! He's stopped breathing! Please! Wake up!" the young sand nin yelled trying not to burst into tears. At that, Shia hurriedly opened the door. The tired, worried, tear streaked face of Temari greeted her. She put a hand on the older girl's shoulder.

"Let's get moving, you can explain on the way," Shia said. The other girl nodded as both of them walked swiftly out of the hotel towards the hospital.

"I don't know what's going on, but when Kankuro went to visit Gaara, he found him writhing in pain. He was sweating, and groaning, and his face was extremely pale. Then he just stopped breathing," Temari said, concern dripping off of each word. The blond looked at the younger girl next to her. Shia's face was contorted in frustration and confusion. The green eyed girl could almost see her dark eyed friend weighing out all possibilities in her mind.

"From what you're telling me, it sounds like he's very ill. That doesn't make sense because when I checked him this morning he didn't show any signs of illness. All of his internal organs seemed fine. That leaves only one option. He's been poisoned," Shia said knowingly. She saw the other girl's eyes widen in fear. They all but ran up the hospital stairs and into Gaara's room. Shia went immediately to work, acknowledging the brunette boy leaning against the wall, tapping his foot nervously on the ground with a nod.

She put a hand to Gaara's clammy forehead. He was burning up, and he wasn't breathing. Deciding to figure out the symptoms later, she placed a hand on his chest. She quickly rid the red haired Sand-nin of his shirt, and laid her ear against his pale bare chest to listen to his lungs. 'Nothing' she thought. She channeled some chakra through her hands, a light green glow emitting from them. Placing her palms against his chest, she prepared to heal him. After a few seconds he still hadn't started to breath. Her hands stopped glowing, one going up to the side of his pale neck to feel a faint pulse against her fingers.

'I have to get him breathing now!' she thought frantically.

On the outside she showed nothing but composure, so as not to worry the boy's siblings. She placed both hands down on his chest and pumped three times. Holding his nose, she opened his mouth and covered it with her own. Blowing air in, she quickly got off and repeated the process. She was going to save his life damnit! If it killed her! She'd never lost a patient, and she wasn't about to start now. Again she pumped his chest with her hands, covered his mouth with hers and blew air in. This time when she got off, she screamed across the room to a nurse who was standing nervously in the corner staring at her as if she were crazy to want to save Gaara's life.

"You! Take a blood sample and do a test for all the common poisons. I want it here in five minutes and no less!" she ordered. The nurse nodded and rushed to carry out the orders. Shia continued her work, trying desperately to get him breathing. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as her mind became clouded with anxiety. 'Please breath!' she thought.

Finally, the boy coughed violently into her mouth, gasping for breath. She shifted him into a position that was easier for him to breath in. His breaths were shallow, so she moved her mouth over his again, blowing in once more, trying to coax his lungs into functioning stronger. The other nurse rushed back in after two minutes with the blood test.

"I've got the results miss!" she exclaimed, more in fear than anything. Now that Gaara was breathing, Shia took a second to look at the chart.

Gaara

I felt two hands push firmly down on my bare chest. They pumped my lungs, and then something soft and wet covered my mouth, breathing life into me. I coughed and gasped for air, unable to open my eyes, or regain full consciousness. 'Tastes like cinnamon' I thought, as I fought to remain at least a little conscious. Shukaku roared for freedom, furious with the state of 'his' body, but I suppressed him with every bit of strength I had.

narrator

"Arsenic…" Shia mumbled as she glared hatefully down at the chart. She wracked her exhausted brain trying to remember the exact herbs needed to counter. Quickly she scribbled something down, anxious to make sure Gaara was still breathing, and examine him further. Something was not right about this. People don't just come down with arsenic poisoning like some kind of sickness. The thought of a medic poisoning one of their own patients disgusted her. She shoved the paper at the reluctant nurse in the room, who seemed to be wondering why Kami would bring her such bad luck.

"This is the list of herbs I'll be needing. Gather them quickly and be back here within five minutes, this is serious," she ordered sternly.

The nurse nodded fearfully and rushed away. Sure the hospital probably had an antidote, but her clan's medicine had fast, if not instant effects, so she decided to make it her way. Shia turned back to the redheaded shinobi on the bed. His breaths were shallow and labored. She reached for an oxygen mask, fitting it over his wheezing mouth, and sighing in relief as it resolved his struggle slightly. She could now focus on other things. Like getting the fever to drop. She turned to Temari and the brunette boy, making sure her face hid any signs of concern.

"Temari could you get me a bowl of cold water and a couple of clean cloths?" she asked. The blond shinobi nodded and hurried out of the room. Shia returned her attention to her patient. Again, she lifted two fingers to the juncture of his neck right beneath his chin. Not satisfied with the weak pulse thumping against her fingers, she glanced at the clock. Only three minutes had passed, but the nurse needed to hurry.

Temari hurried back in, with the cloths and water sloshing out of the bowl slightly. Shia muttered a quick thank you, placing the items on the night side table, and dipping one of the fresh clean cloths into the cold water. The icy coolness sent small tingles through her submerged hand, reminding her of just how hot she was, but ignored it in favor of placing the cool towel down on the demon vessel's heated forehead. She looked down at his strained features. He was in pain.

'If that damned nurse would hurry up I could end that pain!' she thought angrily. Suddenly she felt a soft towel against her sweaty forehead. She looked to see the brunette boy dabbing her gently. She nodded and smiled in thanks, thanking the gods when she finally saw the nurse scurry back into the room.

"Boil some water quickly," she ordered, kneading the herbs together swiftly. She had to get this antidote into him as soon as possible. The nurse looked confused. Shia growled in frustration.

"Listen, if you're going to be useless just leave! Take a bowl of water, and heat it with your chakra until it boils. Then hand it to me," Shia snarled, taking the now warm cloth off the boy's forehead and adding a fresh one in its place.

The girl nodded, rushing off again, but returning only seconds later with the small bowl of water. Once Shia saw the nurse's hands glow with chakra she turned her attention back to the herbs she was currently grinding. Another minute passed, feeling like forever because of the situation at hand. By the time she saw the steaming water bubble to a boil, the herbs had been ground to a fine powder. Thrashing her open hand out violently, she took the bowl and poured her herbal mixture into it making sure to stir it well. When all of the powder dissolved into the hot water, Shia looked around for a cup. Her eyes rested on the empty cup on the nightstand.

"Could you lift his head, and take the oxygen mask off for me?" she asked the brunette boy, "and Temari, could you take that glass in and run an arsenic test on it?" Temari nodded, and hurried away with the glass.

The older brunette Sand-nin lifted the mask off his brother and gently lifted the boy's head off the bed. He watched as Shia took some antidote into a small paper cup (like the ones for your bathroom) and lift it to Gaara's pale lips. She tipped the cup, allowing the warm liquid to slide down the boys throat. He swallowed, and she gestured for the tall brunette to lay him back on the bed. Satisfied with a job well done, she allowed herself to relax a little knowing that the antidote would kick in soon.

"So?" the brunette said, his voice laced with worry. Shia sat down in a chair next to Gaara's bed and let out an exhausted grunt. She smiled up at the tall boy, slumping tiredly against the chair.

"The antidote should be kicking in soon. His breathing is returning to normal, and his pulse is slowly getting stronger. I wouldn't worry, he'll be up by tomorrow," she said, glancing over to the sweating patient on the bed.

"Tomorrow? What time do you think?" he asked. She looked back into his worried dark eyes.

"Around midday. I'll remain here for the night to watch over him, and make sure he doesn't relapse. He shouldn't, so you can wipe that worry off your face. I know you and Temari want to stay, but I'm the only one with clearance to stay here overnight. I'll send you word of his condition in the morning," Shia explained. She smiled as relief washed over the older boy's features. He let out a long sigh as Temari returned to the room.

"Baki-sensei is going to test the glass over night for finger prints or any clues of who might have done this. It tested positive for arsenic," she said, angrily. Shia frowned knowingly. She was positive it was that doctor from before. 'Though he probably didn't touch that glass at all if he could help it,' she thought to herself.

"Well, whoever did it had to have been someone working in the hospital. Obvious, I know. When I got here the poison had progressed significantly through his body. That means it's been in his system for a few hours. The poisoning probably took place a little bit after we left Temari. We have to get a list of all the people working the night shift, and run through who would have a motive…" she said, but was interrupted.

"They all have a motive!" Temari screamed in fury, "They all want him to die!" the brunette boy placed a hand on his sister's shoulder to calm her. Her shoulder's relaxed a little. Shia remained quiet, calculating everything in her mind.

"You two should go home and rest. We have a big day tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I know who did this, but I'll tell you tomorrow. Tonight, get some rest, because I think it should be you two who interrogate him," she said evenly, still in deep thought. Both sand siblings nodded their agreement, and the boy stepped forward extending his hand.

"I'm Kankurou by the way. I'm afraid throughout this whole crazy night I didn't get the chance to introduce myself," he said smiling friendly at her. She lifted her tired navy eyes to meet his onyx gaze. Smiling she took his hand and gave it a firm shake, giggling at his surprise.

"Shia, Akito Shia," she said.

"That's some grip you've got there. That's good though, shows you're strong, and confident," he said, smiling, and not missing her dark eyes falter for a moment. It was gone as soon as it appeared however, leaving him to wonder if it was just his imagination. He suddenly felt like he was missing something about this girl. The eldest son of the late Kazekage brushed it off,however, feeling it was better he left it alone. He grabbed his older sister by the arm and proceeded to drag her from the room.

"Thanks for doing all this. I know it's late, or rather, early. It means a lot," Temari said, yanking herself away from him.

"Yeah, I guess I should thank you too. You truly did everything in your power to keep our brother alive…you're okay," he said with a sly smirk. Shia smiled, waving her hand dismissively.

"It's my job. I'm a medical ninja. I can't sit and watch somebody suffer. You two get some sleep, we'll get to the bottom of this tomorrow," she said, yawning quietly.

The two siblings nodded and Kankurou finally succeeded in pulling his sister from the room. Shia looked at the boy in the bed. He looked like he was in less pain. 'The antidote must be kicking in' she thought. He was not asleep, it was more like a strange state of consciousness that allowed him to rest, but allowed him to fight the demon inside him as well. The twelve year old medic felt her eyelids becoming heavy. After a few futile attempts to fight it she let sleep take her.

a/n: please review! 


	4. Shukaku Strikes Again

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: Yay! Third Chapter down!

Chapter 3

"Baka…mnmhmm….boys…bakas, all bakas," he heard a sleepy feminine voice mumbling next to him. He tried to lift his heavy eyelids, but failed. His body felt heavy, like his limbs were made of lead. Gaara didn't like this feeling of being weak. He willed his eyes to open, slamming them shut again when the piercing light of Suna's blaring sun hit his pupil. He tried again, slowly this time, making sure to avoid the direction of the window. The blurry surroundings slowly came into focus as Gaara stared around the room.

It was morning, or more likely closer to afternoon. The hospital was alive with activity. Though no one was in his room of course. His door remained closed and locked, as if he would go into a rage and kill everyone there. He heard a muffled grumble come from beside him. Turning his face towards the window again, this time shielding his eyes, he spotted a young woman sleeping in the chair. Her dark hair hung over her face. It seemed to have released most of itself from the bun in the night. Her eyes were closed, dark lashes clashing against her pale skin. She was breathing in slow even breaths, her mouth hanging open just a little. Peaceful is how she looked, a state of mind that Gaara was unfamiliar with. She grumbled again.

"No, I don't want salad….put the movie away," she said randomly. Sleep talking, another thing he was unfamiliar with, since he never slept of course. The light from the window moved over her face, a ray shining on her eye. Her lids tightened quickly, and then rose slowly. The thick lashes rose to reveal tired navy eyes, which stared back at him curiously until they shot open wide. The girl jumped vigorously out of her chair, her robe falling open to reveal the short nightdress underneath.

"Oh, my! What time is it? How long have you been awake? Oh geez! I overslept!" she said, her hands on either side of her head, which was shaking back and forth nervously.

She rushed across the room, filling a glass with water, and rushing back over to him. She laid the glass on the nightstand, looking at the monitors that showed his vitals. The young nurse scribbled something down on the clipboard. She seemed really rushed and anxiety ridden. She suddenly seemed aware of her state of dress, glancing down at her small, silk nightgown. Her face turned red, her eyes looking around in embarrassment. It was a few moments before she closed the robe tightly around herself and cleared her throat. She moved towards him.

Her hand went to his forehead, only to be stopped by sand. It was the first time she looked at him since she'd woken up. It was a fierce glare, angry and frustrated. He just smirked up at her. She was funny like this. It entertained him greatly.

"Look, if you won't let me help you, I can't help you," she said in an even tone. He quirked a hairless brow at her.

"I don't need your help girl," he said flatly. She just glared at him, and walked over to open the door.

"One of you useless twits get your ass in here for orders!" she yelled into the hall, turning around and slamming the door shut once more. When dark eyes fell on him again, he was eying the glass of water suspiciously. She walked over once more. A nurse rushed into the room only to squeak at seeing him awake. The younger girl shoved something into her hand, and shooed her away. (A note to Temari and Kankurou on Gaara's condition, and the name of the man who tried to kill him.)

"What happened to me last night?" he asked. She didn't answer, but instead rose her hand to his forehead again. The sand stopped her again. She glared again.

"Listen you! I'm tired and cranky! I'm drained from staying up all night saving your life! So if you would just cooperate with me, it would be greatly appreciated," she said, without any hesitation. No fear in her eyes, she glared him down confidently, almost impudently. No one had ever talked to him that way. Shukaku roared in his mind at her insolence. The demon was prepared to teach her a lesson.

Gaara smirked as he saw the young girl's eyes widen at the touch of his sand against her leg. He allowed it to crawl up her leg, squeezing tightly enough to make anyone nervous, but not enough to kill her. He lifted her off the ground, squeezing the sand until he heard her yelp in pain. (Kill her) Shukaku growled in his mind. The redhead let the sand squeeze her tighter.

"(gasp!) please stop," he heard her say.

He smiled manically. Her navy eyes were the size of dinner plates, and shiny with the film of tears yet to come. He felt his blood rush through his body. This feeling of being completely in control. To have a person at his mercy, someone who's fate was decided by him. Shukaku filled him with demonic blood lust. He attempted to gain control, but the fear in her eyes had him drunk with power. Then the tears fell. They slid gracefully down her pale cheeks. Shukaku registered more control over him. The demon purred at the sight of her tears.

"please.." her voice rasped, "I just wanted..(gasp)…to…(gurgle)..help"

His eyes widened, the boy finally winning control over his body. The sand dropped her roughly on the floor and retreated into gourd leaning against the wall. He heard her gasping for breath on the floor. He didn't look at her; he knew he'd done wrong. 'I don't want to be feared anymore!' he mentally screamed at Shukaku. The demon just cackled in his mind before fading into the darkness again. Gaara didn't want to look at her. He didn't want to see those eyes full of hatred. He laid back down, and stared up at the ceiling, cursing himself for being a monster. The only sound in the room were the nurse's labored gasps.

Shia sat on the hospital floor. Her robe laying sprawled around her, and her legs to the side. She held her self up on her shaking arms, gasping for air. Her whole body trembled in fear. Now, she saw why people refused to be in this room. Before she could think on it any further she heard the door open behind her.

Temari and Kankurou walked into the room to find Shia trembling on the floor. Her fear filled eyes were frozen on their younger brother, who was currently staring blankly up at the ceiling. Temari walked over to Gaara as Kankurou went to help the young nurse off the ground. She flinched away from his hand, pulling her robe tightly around her as if to protect herself, which confirmed his suspicions.

"Gaara, what did you do?" Temari asked in a worried whisper. He just continued to look up at the ceiling. She turned to the frightened girl on the floor who had finally allowed Kankurou to help her stand. She was trembling horribly. Her fear crazed eyes still trained on the redhead in the bed.

"Kankurou, take her outside for a minute," Temari said. He nodded and coaxed the girl out of the room. The young blond watched with worry. 'What just happened?' she thought. The two older siblings had just received her letter, and come to visit after taking the suspected doctor into custody. What could have happened? Temari imagined the worst.

"Does she hate me too?" she heard her brother's emotionless voice ask, breaking her out of her imaginings. A little surprised she turned to find him staring blankly at her. She frowned slightly.

"Gaara, I know you're uneasy around strangers, but she's just trying to help. She was up all night in this room, doing everything she could to make sure you lived," his older sister explained to him gently. His eyes remained hard.

"That's not what I asked you," he said bluntly. She sighed.

"I don't know Gaara. You definitely shook her up. She was shaking pretty bad…"

"But does she hate me?" he asked more pointedly.

"I don't know. That's something you'll have to ask her yourself, if she ever decides to show her face in this hospital room again," Temari answered. Her redheaded brother nodded and turned his eyes back to the ceiling. Falling back into silence, Temari excused herself and walked out to check on Shia. She found Kankurou alone.

"Where'd she go?" Temari asked. He looked up at her.

"I sent her home for a little while. She was trembling so badly she could barely stand up straight. I told her to take a shower and relax for a while. Though she insisted on coming back here after she was done," he said, smiling. Temari walked to stand next to her brother.

"I'm glad he didn't scare her away," she said. He nodded.

"She said that she made an oath when she became a medical-nin that she would heal all who suffered. That's how she's always lived her life, and that she wouldn't give up just because of an uncooperative patient," he said. Temari sighed in relief.

"I'm going to go convince her to stay home. I'm glad she wants to come back, but I know she's not ready to face him yet. Neither is Gaara, he needs some time alone," Temari explained. Kankurou nodded.

"I'll just go in and calm him down. She said his medicine was in the cabinet, and to make sure he took it," the brunette boy said. The two siblings said a quick goodbye and went their separate ways.

Shia's Hotel Room

Shia let the hot water caress her trembling muscles. It relaxed her fear filled body as she let herself sink in. She could still feel the rough sand against her sensitive skin. She could still feel the pressure crushing her petite form painfully. A shudder coursed through her body. The look in his eyes was so frightening. Fire, aqua fire, that's what his eyes reminded her of. It was a look of pure malice, and pleasure. He was reveling in the desperate cries for her life. He liked hearing her groan in pain under the pressure of his sand, and that scared her to no end. KNOCK…KNOCK… 'Not now…' Shia thought.

"Shia, it's Temari. Are you okay?" she heard the blonde's voice ask. Shia rose out of the bath and tied her rob on, heading towards the door. It opened to reveal Temari's worried face, something Shia was getting used to. 'Is she always worried?' she thought.

"I'm sorry about today. He's just….not used to," Temari began, but Shia held a hand up to silence her. She smiled.

"Don't worry about it. All is already forgiven. Everybody flips out sometimes..he..just flips out more…violently than others," trying to comfort her friend. Temari regarded her skeptically for a moment, then smiled.

"How is it you can forgive people so quickly?" she asked. The younger girl decided on the words to use. Not wanting to reveal she hadn't completely forgiven him yet. She didn't want to worry the older girl any more.

"Holding grudges only hurts the one holding it. If I allow vengeance to control me, I will never be happy," Shia answered matter-of-factly. 'But he is soo getting the cold shoulder!' her twelve year old mind thought.

"Yea, that sounds about right," the blond answered, she paused, "Listen, I think you should take the rest of the day off." Shia threw her a confused look.

"Why? I still have to get back and do a check up," she said. Temari just smiled.

"I think you both need to cool down before you see each other again. Perhaps he'll be a little more cooperative," she answered.

"But he's my patient. I can't just ignore him. Besides I'm leaving for Konoha tonight. This will be the last chance for another couple of days for me to look at him," Shia protested, even though she was slightly relieved to hear she had a choice. Temari just shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. He's fine now, thanks to you. When you return, you can do your check up. By then he will have decided on whether he will cooperate with you or not. Kankurou and I will do our best to see to it that he does," she explained. Shia seemed reluctant. She wanted to make sure everything was okay, but she was still scared of him. She knew he liked seeing her afraid. Perhaps it was for the best that she took the rest of the day off. This way, she could build her mask of confidence to hide her fear.

"Alright…but what am I going to do with myself until it's time to leave?" she asked, feeling some weight lifted from her shoulders. The older teen thought for a moment.

"Get dressed. I'll show you around Suna," she answered. With that said, Temari left the younger girl to get dressed and waited outside the door.

Gaara's Hospital Room

"Here, take this," Kankurou said, holding out a cup full of some greenish liquid. Gaara took a whiff and gagged.

"I don't think so Kankurou. That smells disgusting," he said. His older brother laughed nonchalantly at his comment.

"It's medicine Gaara. It's supposed to be disgusting," he explained. Gaara took the cup and drank the bitter, quite disgusting concoction. Kankurou laughed uncontrollably at the face he made. Gaara glared.

"Look, I promised Shia I'd make you take it. So just deal with the taste, it'll make you feel better," he said. 'The nurse,' Gaara thought.

"What happened last night?" the redhead asked his brother. He let his mask slide, feeling a little closer to his brother. He wanted to be close. He wanted to have that older brother he could always go to when he wanted to talk. So he let the mask go a little, just to show Kankurou he trusted him. His brother's goofy smile disappeared.

"You were poisoned," he stated.

"Poisoned?" Gaara asked as if he'd never heard the word.

"Yea, somebody put arsenic into your water last night. I came in, and you'd stopped breathing. I was so scared in that moment, I didn't know what to do. Thank Kami Temari got Shia here in time. She worked all night to keep you alive," he explained. 'So she wasn't lying,' Gaara thought.

"Does she hate me?" Gaara asked. It couldn't hurt to ask Kankurou. He had been in the hall with her after the incident. His older brother shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't think she does," Kankuro answered honestly. Gaara looked at him in surprise.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, curious about his brother's stupid thoughts. Of course she hated him. He'd almost killed her for trying to help him. He let Shukaku get the best of him, and she paid the price.

"She told me, no..ordered me to make sure you took that medicine today," Kankurou said, falling silent to allow his brother to mull over his statement. A few moments passed, and Kankurou got up to leave.

"Well, I'll see you later little brother. I've got a mission washing someone's dog or something stupid like that," said Kankurou flashing his smile. Gaara waved, lost in his thoughts as his brother left the room.

(Some hours later)

Knock..knock, he heard a soft knocking on the door. He looked at the closed door.

"Gaara it's Temari. I just came by to say goodbye," his sister's voice said.

"Enter," he answered. The door opened and his sister's blond, pigtailed head popped in. She smiled as she walked to him.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. I'm leaving on an escort mission to Konoha in a few minutes," she said, placing a hand on his forehead. He allowed it, knowing he could trust her. After all, she'd gone all the way to Konoha to get him a doctor hadn't she?

"Your fever is gone. I'm glad you're feeling better," she added with sincerity. He nodded to her in acknowledgment. She smiled again. 'What is she so happy about?' he thought.

"When will you be back?" he asked, suddenly feeling like he would miss his sister if she stayed away too long. The feeling confused him, seeing as it was alien to him. She was one of the only people who'd stopped treating him like a monster, and started to show in bits and pieces that she cared. She was one of the only ones who came to see him in the hospital. On top of that, he couldn't remember an extended period in his life where she wasn't around.

"Well, I'm to accompany Shia back for the Hokage's funeral. We're actually taking a carriage this time, so it should only take us a day in a half at most. You know how fast our desert horses are. I'll be accompanying her back here after the service is over," she explained.

"Where is she now?" he asked. She thought for a moment.

"I told her I'd meet her at the border to relieve the jounin she's with now of his duties," she said. He nodded and turned towards the window.

It was silent for a few minutes. He didn't know why, but he didn't want the nurse to never return. He wanted her to be different than everyone else. Not because he had a particular attachment her, if she were a man he'd hope the same thing. No, he wanted her to come back, if only to prove to himself that he could change people's outlook on him. She'd be the first experiment.

Suddenly he felt two slim, warm arms wrap themselves around him and pull him close. His eyes shot open in shock. Temari was hugging him. He'd never received a hug in his life. It was different, but the sisterly love radiating off of her was so comforting that he let himself lean into it. She squeezed him tight and said,

"I'm going to miss you too little brother. You and Kankurou be good while I'm gone. Don't forget to change your underwear, and tell Kankurou not to burn the house down."

Then she unwrapped herself from him and headed to the door. Gaara felt the wind lick coolly where Temari's arms were. Maybe, he could change. Maybe Naruto was right, and all he had to do was just let somebody in… 'I'll try. I want to have precious friends too Uzumaki,' he thought, laying back down on the bed.


	5. Hokage's Funeral and the Return to Suna

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: well, here's chapter four. I hope you like it. Please read and review.

Chapter 4

The Hokage's funeral was long and depressing. Shinobi of all ranks came to pay their respects to their selfless leader. It was mostly silent after the priest finished his ramblings. It was mostly just people reflecting on the things the Third Hokage had done for them. When Shia made it to the front of the line, she reflected on all the times the Third had been there for her. During her struggle after her parents' deaths. When she'd almost died. He'd been there to help her see differently. If it weren't for him, she probably wouldn't be alive today. She could hear the soft sobbing of Konohamaru accompanied by the comforting of Iruka-sensei behind her. Why did such a good person have to die?

The sky was cloudy and gray as it cried cold tears of rain upon the service. He was a good man. A man who sacrificed everything to protect his village. Shia truly respected anyone to carry the title of Kage. They really put it all on the line in order to protect their beloved villagers. She placed the fresh white flower down on the table, saying a silent prayer for his peaceful rest. A tear ran down her cheek. It was a great loss indeed, but because of him, Konoha would continue on. Because of his sacrifice...they were all safe again. With a final goodbye, she went to bid her family farewell, and begin her Journey back to Suna.

The sky cleared up as the mourning crowd dissipated, leaving Shia to believe that everything was going to be just fine. She watched as Naruto ran to his two teammates, giving a small wave to them as she continued to walk to her house. She would say a quick goodbye to her grandparents, whom she had been living with since she lost her parents. Her mission was not complete in Suna, so she would have to return immediately. A little shiver ran up her spine at the memory of those cold icy eyes. 'I have to be strong. He is my patient, and I must heal him,' she thought.

Sunagakure Hospital

It had been a little over two days since his sister left on her mission. Kankurou came to visit everyday, making sure Gaara took his medication since he knew the doctors and nurses could care less. They talked to each other civilly, and had grown to talk almost freely. Or as freely as Gaara could allow himself to get in his current state of mind. He felt himself growing closer to his older brother, which made him feel good. Perhaps Kankurou really could become that close older brother for him.

"Temari just sent word from Konoha," Kankurou said, walking into the room with two boxed lunches. Gaara eyed it hungrily. This hospital food was disgusting, and he got the worst of the crop; being a monster and all.

"Hn," he answered, still eying the food.

"They should be back very late tonight, or early tomorrow morning," the older boy finished, sliding one of the boxed lunches over to his little brother along with a pair of chopsticks. Gaara opened the lunch and took a piece of beef between the sticks. He savored the flavor, having tasted nothing with flavor for almost a week, as he chewed slowly and contentedly. Kankurou chuckled.

"What's the matter? Food sucks?" he asked, getting an affirming "Hn" from his little brother. He too began to eat the lunch. It made him feel good to be able to hang out with Gaara like a true brother. When they were younger he just wasn't sure how to react to him. Everyone else feared him, so Temari and Kankurou did too. Looking back, he knew it was the wrong decision. Perhaps they could have saved him. 'I'll save him now. Both of us will,' Kankurou thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Gaara asked offhandedly. Kankurou looked up at him in shock. Perhaps they'd made more progress than he first thought. The redhead had never asked him what he was thinking. He'd never cared.

"Um….nothing really important," he said, not sure how to answer. Gaara 'Hn'd' again, and continued eating. His older brother fought his shock, and put another slice of beef into his mouth.

"Uh…you?" he asked, receiving a confused glance from his brother's pale green eyes. Kankurou smiled goofily at him, hoping to encourage an answer.

"A lot of things," he said, looking distant for a moment. Kankurou sighed in defeat. 'Silly me…of course he wasn't going to tell me. We haven't gotten that close yet. But we will,' he thought. After another hesitant glance, Gaara opened his mouth to speak again feeling as if he was setting a new record in the amount of times he actually spoke in one day.

"I'll tell you about it more when we have more privacy," he added, glancing around the hospital setting. Kankurou's dark eyes widened, and a smiled jerked the corners of his lips up in response. 'Maybe we are progressing faster than I thought,' he thought to himself. They continued to eat together.

Gates of Sunagakure 12:00am

"Shia…wake up..we're back," Temari said, shaking the other girl slowly. The other girl jumped up, a wild confused look on her face. The older girl laughed. Shia finally registered where she was and settled down.

"Straight to the hospital," she said, wanting to check on her patient. Temari smiled.

Sunagakure Hosptial

"Kankurou-san?" a cautious female voice queried into the room. Kankurou flinched, knowing he wasn't supposed to be there at this time. Both boys turned around to see a scared looking nurse hiding behind the door. Gaara growled.

"If I wanted to kill you there's nothing that door could do to protect you," he said, staring out of the window into the night. She started shaking and he smirked, receiving a glare from his older brother.

"Gaara…" his brother mumbled in a chastising tone, "what do you want?" She swallowed hard.

"Um…the elders have requested you at the front gates to greet Temari-san and Shia-san," she said in a shaky voice. He nodded, dismissing her. He then turned to his brother.

"You know Gaara, if you want people to stop being afraid of you, maybe you should try not scaring them," Kankurou said, chuckling slightly. Gaara looked up at his older brother, smirking again.

"Those people will always fear me no matter how nice I am to them. They are not important to me, so I have no reason to be 'nice' to them," he said, drawling on the word nice. Kankurou gave him a confused look, but brushed it off and threw a quick goodbye plus a wave behind him as he left to meet his sister at the gates.

Gates of Sunagakure 12:15am

Kankurou stood with the ninja gate guards watching his sister's carriage approach from the distance. He wondered if Shia would decide to continue treating his brother. Then again, would she be coming back if she had decided not to. No, Shia didn't seem like the kind of person who gave up. She reminded him a little of that blond kid who was responsible for Gaara's condition. What was it with Konoha ninja and being so damned determined? It was befuddling(I love that word!)

"Kankurou-san, let's go down to greet Temari-san," one of the guards said, jumping down in front of the carriage. Kankurou followed shortly after. They walked up to the side of the carriage, and knocked on the door.

"Temari-san, please allow us to check the carriage?" the guard asked. The carriage door opened to reveal his sister's pretty face along with Shia's worried one.

"Can we leave the carriage here and go in?" she asked. Temari and Kankurou exchanged glances, the older of the two letting out a small giggle. Kankurou placed a large hand on the young medic's shoulder.

"Don't worry, he took his medicine today, ate a good lunch and dinner, and I think he's said more today than he has in his entire life," he assured her. She stared up at him shocked for a moment before smiling and relaxing a little. The three watched as one of the guards searched the carriage. Of course Kankurou was supposed to be helping, but he figured the guard could handle a little carriage on his own.

Sunagakure Hospital

Gaara stared up at the ceiling. It was pretty late. He knew he'd be alone for the rest of the night. Temari and Kankurou weren't allowed back in, meaning he wouldn't see his sister till tomorrow; and that nurse was probably exhausted, meaning they definitely couldn't come. Wait a second! 'Since when have I cared whether I was alone or not?' he thought, confused. (Since you allowed yourself to care for people other than yourself.) Shukaku remarked snidely in his mind. Gaara felt anger rush through him.

'Be silent! I don't need your input!' he snapped rudely to the demon inside of him.

(Watch yourself boy. No matter how much you ignore me, I will always be here inside of you. I can make you kill everything, and everyone that you've worked so hard to open up to. That pretty little sister of yours will be dead. That brother of yours, dead! ) Shukaku yelled angrily. Gaara felt a sharp pain rip through his head. He clutched his hands in his messy red hair. Shukaku fought for control but Gaara held his defense.

"Gaara?" he heard his sister say. He shot his hand out and waved it furiously.

"Don't come near me! It's not safe," he growled out. He heard some hurried footsteps rush across the room to him.

Temari looked at her brother. She knew that look. Shukaku wanted out. She rushed over to him, unsure of what to do. Looking back at Kankurou she sent him a worried look. He shrugged his shoulders, holding a very confused, worried, and slightly frightened Shia back from running over to her patient. For lack of any ideas Temari threw her arms around her little brother, tears springing from her eyes. She didn't know why she cried. It was actually quite unlike her to do so. She just felt so anxious, and scared…and worried for her little brother. The confusion set off by all of these emotions came out in tears. She squeezed him to her chest, hoping he could control the demon, hoping she could help her brother. 'Gaara…after all these years I'm going to help you. You can stop him, I believe in you,' the blond ninja thought frantically.

Gaara felt himself pulled into something warm and soft. Immediately he reacted, first struggling a little bit, but eventually calming down. He gave in to the warmth and comfort of his sister's embrace. He could feel the concern pulsating off of her. Confusion, concern, and anxiety radiated off of his oldest sibling in waves. She cuddled him to her chest, and he looked up at her tear streaked face. Something hit him straight in the heart. He'd seen her angry. He'd seen her happy, determined, and upset. Never…ever..had he seen his sister cry, and it hurt him to see her doing it now because of him. Silently he cursed himself for being a monster. Shukaku receded into his mind, and he reached up to wipe a trail of tears off her cheek.

"Temari, stop," he said, in a more gentle tone than he'd expected. She looked down at him.

"Oh Gaara, I'm sorry," she said, wiping her tears away roughly, "I didn't realize. I don't know. I was scared. I wanted to help you, they just came out, I was so worried," she said in one breath. They moved away from each other. Staring into the other's eyes. He saw worry, but relief was washing it out of her pretty green eyes.

"You shouldn't worry about me. You should have been more worried for yourself. Don't cry about me," he said, eyes casting down to the ground. He heard her let out a breath.

"Gaara, I'm your sister. I was always told not to worry about you. Whether it was father, or the elders, or even you. I never worried about you. No one did, and maybe that's why you became the way you did. After we came back from Konoha...after I saw that kid, younger than me, fight all fear to protect his friends, I made a decision," she said, scoring a fifty on his one to ten weirdness scale. He stared at her in complete shock.

"Hai! Me too," Kankurou said, still holding a very confused looking, and a very worried looking nurse in his arms who Gaara had just noticed was standing there. She stared between all the siblings, very confused, and feeling very out of place.

"Let go of me please!" she said, having had enough. She ripped herself from Kankuro's grasp and ran out of the door. She closed it behind her leaning against it for support. Putting a hand to her heart she struggled for air. She was completely confused. When they'd walked in she saw her patient grasping his head in pain. Kankurou stopped her from rushing over to assist him which not only confused her but angered her as well. Then she'd witnessed, no intruded upon a very personal family moment. 'Baka!' she thought to herself.

In the room

"I should go out there and see if she's okay," Kankurou said. Temari nodded and turned back to her youngest brother. She saw a look of confusion slash self hatred in his eyes. It was the most emotion she'd ever seen from him.

"Gaara, I'm sure she was overwhelmed. To tell you the truth I kind of forgot she was here. But to finish what I was going to say, Kankurou and I made a decision that day after you apologized to us. We decided that we were going to try and be the siblings we should have been when you were younger. After watching that blond kid fight, we decided it was time for us to put aside our fear, and put this broken family back together," Temari explained.

Gaara stared at her through slightly wide aqua eyes. It was so much to think about in such a short amount of time. His siblings' revelation. Shukaku's attack on his mind and body. His sister's hug. The nurse running from the room almost in tears. It was too much. His brain hurt in its confusion. He didn't know what to think. He was happy his siblings wanted to be there for him. It gave him hope that perhaps they really could be a family. He was at first happy that the nurse had returned, it had given him a chance to redeem himself, and begin his experiment. 'Messed that one up,' he thought bitterly. He hated himself the umpteenth time tonight.

"This is a lot for you to take in Gaara. I understand that, but there's one more thing I need to tell you tonight. Now that I've got your attention, and so much has come out already. It's going to be confusing to you, and probably give you a headache tonight, and for that I'm sorry, but I have to say it…"

"Temari…"

"Um..sorry to bud in but I'm here with Shia, and um…she wants to do a quick checkup on him before she goes to bed tonight. So Temari, I know what you're going to say to him, but can you say it and get out so she can do her job?" Kankurou said poking his head in. Temari nodded.

"Gaara…I..We love you," she said quickly, earning a nod from Kankurou, and a confused stare from the youngest of the three. She smiled, hugged him again, and brushed a timid kiss on his cheek before leaving him to think in silence. He heard the door click closed, and some voices in the hall. He laid back to think on his sister's words. 'Love..' he thought. It was an absurd idea; an alien emotion that never ceased to confuse him. Temari and Kankuro loved him. 'I guess it's a step towards making us a family. I love them too I think,' he thought.

In the hall

Temari found Shia sitting up against the wall, crying into the knees that were drawn up and held to her chest. Kankurou was squatted next to her with a hand on her knee attempting to calm her. There was a very uncomfortable vibe coming off of her.

"It's okay Shia, really," Kankurou said. She looked up at him through thick, wet lashes.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I felt so out of place. I was confused, and my patient was sitting there in pain. You were holding me back from helping him. And then Temari started talking about your past. I just felt like I was intruding on a family moment. It didn't feel right to me. Just give me a second to pull myself together," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. Temari walked over.

"Shia, maybe you should just go to your room. I'm sure that Gaara will understand. You're tired, and this is a lot on your first night back," she said in a serious tone. Shia looked up at her through drying navy eyes.

"No, I'll be fine. I can't ignore him anymore. I'm not afraid anymore. I can't be afraid, because I have to help him. So I'm going to go in there to do my job, and I won't leave till it's done," she said smiling, and walking into the room before they could stop her.

In the room

Gaara was laying in his hospital bed pondering the things that had transpired in the room tonight. So many unsaid things had been brought into the light tonight. He was happy, but confused at the same time. He barely heard the door open and shut across the room. He did, however, feel a timid presence walking up to him. He opened one of his light eyes to look on the dark haired nurse. She was timid, but he was surprised she'd even decided to come in after his little episode. She regarded him cautiously, checking his vitals, and preparing some items on the night table. Her dark eyes fell upon his face as he saw her hand raise timidly.

She watched him closely, gauging his response. When the warm skin of her hand made contact with his forehead he heard her let a breath out. She actually relaxed a little, taking her hand off and scribbling her findings on the clipboard. He felt her fingers connect with the side of his throat, making him jump a little bit, it was so small she didn't even realize. No one ever really got a chance to touch him, and that spot was obviously a sensitive spot. The nurse seemed to be content with his pulse. She looked down at him for a moment. It seemed like she was debating something in her mind. Finally she shook her head and looked at him again. He made sure to stay impassive.

"Please remove your shirt and lay back," she said professionally. She kept her eyes devoid of emotion. It wasn't a cold gaze. It was professional. It was the look of a doctor patiently waiting for the patient to comply. He threw her a dismissive look and discarded his shirt on the floor beside his bed. When he laid back she placed her hands by either side of his chest and put her ear to his chest. When she got up, she wrote her findings on the chart.

"Alright, take this, it'll heal the rest of the inner damage from the poison," she told him, handing him the disgusting medication. He drank it, holding back the look of disgust his face wanted to break out in. Gaara watched his young nurse walk over to the counter where her things were.

"I brought you something," she said, pulling a small box from inside her bag. He eyed it cautiously. She smiled nervously while walking over, and held it towards him

"I know you had dinner, so this is like a little midnight snack. I wanted to make up for angering you the last time I was here," she said, giving him a look that begged him to take it. He did. He opened it to reveal a pair of rice balls. He looked up at her. She just smiled anxiously back at him.

"I can be stubborn sometimes. I should have been more professional. I won't give up on you though. I'm your doctor now, so I'm going to heal you whether you like it or not," she said, giggling nervously. He looked back down at the gift. A few moments passed in silence, and he saw her shift uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, I'm finished here. I'm a really tired, so I'll see you in the morning," she said, turning to leave. She had thought of him while she was away. She wanted to apologize, and make up for something that neither of them had any real control over, and certainly wasn't her fault. This was his chance to redeem his image in her eyes. She was almost to the door.

"Nurse," he said, effectively stopping her at the open door. There was a pause. Neither said anything for a little bit.

"Arigato" he said quietly, he heard her gasp. More silence, and then...

"No problem, and it's Shia," she said, walking out and closing the door behind her. Gaara stared after her for a few moments before returning his attention to the gift.

He took one of the perfect looking treats out of the small container. He sniffed it, and after deciding she probably wouldn't try to kill him after wasting all of her energy healing him, he took a bite of the delicious sweetness. It was like an explosion of flavor in his mouth. Had she really prepared this for him? She had passed the first part of the experiment. She had returned, even after he tried to kill her. Now he'd just have to see, if he could make her think he was something more than just a monster. More than just a demon vessel or a murderer. If he could change just one person's mind, then he might have hope of realizing his dream of having the village accept him one day. Becoming Kazekage was only part of having them finally acknowledge him. That would be a whole lot of work in itself. To have them accept him, he'd have to have friends who weren't family. 'I can do this.' he thought.


	6. Not the Sand Again

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my : I don't own Naruto.

a/n: On with the story! :)

Chapter 5

"Please stay with me…" a six year old girl cried to her dying mother. Her navy eyes flooded with tears for her parents. Father lay dead just a few feet away. The dead were all around her. She stared into her mother's distancing eyes. 'There's nothing I can do.'

"Mommy! Don't die mommy! Please!" she cried desperately, watching as her mother's breaths became shallower and shallower. 'What should I do?' she thought frantically.

"SOMEBODY HELP! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she screamed into the night. Nobody came. The tears were flowing rapidly down her face; her breath came in violent sobs. She felt a cool hand squeeze her wrist, and looked down to see her weakened mother staring lovingly up at her.

"Shia, get out of here. Run now, I don't want you to see anymore death. Please get out of here," her mother begged her. She shook her head vigorously.

"I won't leave you mommy. You're not going to die," she said through her tears. The little girl placed her small palms over her mother's chest, trying desperately to mimic what she'd seen her mother do a million times. She had to heal her, but the green chakra just flickered. She could not maintain a steady stream of chakra, she was too young. Her mother smiled at her then. It was a sad smile. A smile that scared the little girl. It was the smile of a woman who knew she was going to die. Mother's breaths were weaker, and further apart.

"I don't want you to see anymore death," her mother said as she died. The little girl shook her mother's limp body. Tears falling even faster as she did so.

"Mommy…mommy….Nooo!" she screamed into the night.

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Shia sprung up out of her sleep in a cold sweat. Her breath was labored and harsh. She put a hand over her heart, as if doing so would calm the rapid beating. Glancing around her nice hotel room, she saw the sun peaking through her white lacy curtains. She glanced over to the digital clock on her nightstand. 8:30am. 'Not bad. Gotta take a shower, then breakfast, then hospital,' she thought. The nightmare was still fresh in her mind as she let the hot water cascade down her back. Rubbing some rose scented soap over her body, she thought about it. She had been unable to save her mother, and thus, had vowed to become the greatest medical ninja her clan had ever seen. She promised herself that she would never lose a patient, and so far it was working out well.

With a towel wrapped around her hair she sat down at the table to ponder her dream. It'd been a while since those memories had haunted her dreams. 'Why now?' she thought as she sipped her morning tea. She tried pushing it out of her mind as she pulled on her clothes. It was a short kimono, cut mid-thigh to allow better movement. Being a ninja that was always necessary. It was red and pretty, why she was wearing it to the hospital she didn't know, but it'd been such a long time since she'd worn anything but baggy hospital clothes. Knowing there'd be no blood made her more comfortable wearing it to work.

Sunagakure hospital

"Gaara! Good morning!" Temari's voice rang throughout the small hospital room. Gaara's black rimmed eyes opened and settled coolly on his happy looking sister. He'd thought all night on what his sister had said, and had made a decision. He was going to help his older siblings put their broken family back together. After all the years of fear, pain, and suffering, they would be a family.

"So, ya hungry?" she asked, pulling a chair up to the side of his bed, and revealing her surprise. His eyes widened slightly. It was a full breakfast. Eggs, sausage, pancakes, and more. It looked and smelled delicious. He found his mouth watering just looking at it. Temari's green eyes shifted from his face to the food, and he heard her giggle.

"I'll take that as a yes, well dig in. I brought it for you. I already ate, so eat it all if you want," his blond sister said. He attempted a small smile that ended up in more of an amused smirk, but it got the point across nonetheless. Grabbing utensils, he literally dug in to the delicious looking food, not being disappointed in the least. With no offense meant to Temari, it was quite obvious she hadn't prepared this food. Usually Temari's cooking lacked a certain aspect of cooking known as flavor.

"So I was thinking about it and that nurse is coming back today. It's kind of funny actually. It seems no matter what you do to her she won't give up. Seems to be a trait among Konoha ninja," she said. He looked at her, waiting for her point with a full mouth.

"Hn," he said, wanting her to go on.

"Gaara," she said, pausing until she saw his eyes turn on her, "Are you going to cooperate with her?" she asked. His eyes widened slightly, and the room was silent. Then he nodded. He felt Temari relax substantially. When he picked up his chopsticks again, he was upset to realize he'd already eaten all of the scrumptious breakfast. He heard Temari laugh again.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," she said, putting the empty containers into the trash bin.

"Arigato," he said quietly, glancing up at his older sister. She looked shocked, but quickly wiped the look off her face in favor of hugging her little brother. This time he didn't struggle, he just allowed himself to enjoy something he'd never had as a young child. Temari seemed more than willing to make up for all of his lost hugs. Why should he put a damper on her fun? The door opened and they broke away. Shia walked in with a clipboard in one hand and a small muffin in the other. Her hair was tied back with red chopsticks and she wore a pretty red, thigh length kimono. Her navy eyes scanned over the chart on the board as she took a little nibble out of the muffin.

"Shia-chan! You look pretty today. Is there any special occasion?" Temari said, glancing over the nicely put together outfit.

"Oh no!" Shia giggled waving her hand dismissively, "I'm just sick of looking like a man all the time. Just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean I can't look nice sometimes." Temari smiled her agreement. Shia smiled brightly, but she seemed a little off today. Something seemed to be bothering her.

"I think all female ninja should make it a point to look decent. I mean, just because we work in a butch job, doesn't mean we have to be butch," Temari said. Shia just smiled as she began scribbling Gaara's vitals down on the chart. She lifted her long feminine fingers to the pulse point on his neck, looking satisfied with the result.

"Well, I'd better get started here," she said, looking down at her patient. Gaara just stared blankly back up at her. Temari stood up to leave.

"Oh, yea, I've got to get going anyway. I've got a mission escorting some guy around town today," she said, walking towards the door.

"Maybe we should hang out for lunch today," Shia said, Temari smiled and nodded.

"Yea, maybe we can do some shopping too. I should be done with the mission by 1:30. I'll meet you at the hospital," Temari said. Shia shook her head, removing the I.V in Gaara's arm, and forcing him to down some more gross medication.

"No, I'll be discharging your brother today after I check his injuries, which should have healed. I'll probably get him settled in bed by 11:00, and stay with him until Kankurou comes by for lunch. So meet me at your house I guess," Shia said.

"Alright, well see you later Shia-chan. Bye little brother," Temari called closing the door behind her. Then there were two. The nurse turned back to him after a few seconds, and smiled nervously. Something was on her mind. It was quite obvious something was eating at her.

"I need you to sit up and swing your legs over the side of the bed," she said in a professional tone.

He did as he was told, and watched as the nurse began to undo the wrappings on his leg. She took the splint off and began feel the bones in his leg. He saw her nod and smile, guessing it meant it had healed well. She then laid her warm palm over his shin, filtering green healing chakra into his bones until she was satisfied. Gaara could feel the bones moving back into place. She quickly felt the bones in his wrist looking happy with her findings again.. She wrote it down on her clipboard and dropped it softly on the bed in order to discard the leg bindings. He took a glance at the board.

(Medical Chart)

'Patient's body seems to heal quickly due to the entity sealed inside of him. The dark chakra has both good and bad effects on his body, seeming to hurt him when angered, but heal him when injured. The poison has been flushed from his system by the medication which has thankfully been taken everyday as recommended. All internal damage seems to have healed, both lungs and heart sound normal.

The wrist seems to have completely healed on its own, and will be able to function as it did before injury, as expected.

Patient's shin fractures have healed naturally for the most part. Minimal chakra healing was necessary to heal the bones into their original positions. Patient will have to endure some physical therapy to get his stiff joints used to movement once again. One to two weeks is recommended.'

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He finished reading the medical report, a little shocked that there was actually observations on it. Most doctors just doodled on the clipboard when it came to him, just to make it look like they were doing something. Shia walked back over and placed the clipboard on the counter. She placed a small hand between his shoulder blades and applied some pressure.

"Could you stand for a minute? I just want to see how stiff you are," she said. He slid off the bed slowly to stand on stiff legs. The nurse's hand served as a comfortable balance while he got used to being upright after over a week of laying down.

"Alright, try and walk over to the door," she said, smiling reassuringly at him. The young doctor to be walked just a foot from his side to make sure that if he fell, she could catch him. Gaara's legs were stiff, and it was slightly uncomfortable, almost painful, for him to move them. He didn't like that at all. How could he train if he could barely move his legs?

"Tell me what you feel," the girl said, not missing his discomfort. Gaara's pale eyes moved to her concerned face. He wasn't much of a talker. He most certainly didn't talk to people he really didn't know. It was important to his recovery he knew, but he'd just taken a major step out of his comfort zone when he'd decided to trust her with his well being.

"Alright, I see you're not very talkative. I want to make this as comfortable for you as possible. It's very important for a patient to have a comfortable healing environment. I'm going to ask you some questions, and all you have to do is nod, or shake your head. Is that okay?" the young nurse said, smiling nicely at him. He appreciated the thought, and nodded.

"Okay, do you feel any numbness in your muscles?" she asked, he shook his head. She jotted a few notes down.

"Do your bones feel stiff or brittle?" she asked. He nodded, and decided to distinguish which of the two out of thanks for her thoughtfulness.

"Stiff," he said in his usual monotone. His voice seemed to startle her a little. Her dark blue eyes widened, and one of her small hands moved to her heart. 'Is she afraid?' he asked himself. He looked at the ground, shame emanating from him. He didn't want to be feared. Maybe he should have stayed quiet. 'Why do I have to be a monster?' he thought. Ever since his fight with Naruto, and his attempts to make new bonds, the question that had plagued his childhood came to his mind more and more.

Shia was a little shocked when her patient spoke. The sudden deep sound just startled her slightly. She'd never really heard him speak much, and certainly didn't expect him to do so now. Looking over at him, she did not miss the shame that was etched in his posture. It through her off a little. Why was he ashamed?

"Um…are you okay?" she asked, he glanced up at her through pale eyes. Should he even say anything? Maybe he should just shut her off, like he would anyone else. Or maybe he should ask her before he jumped to any conclusions. He went for the first one, straightening his posture and icing over his eyes. The nurse stared at him, confused with his sudden mood change.

"Okay, well lets get on with the analysis," she said, but he just turned sharply around, causing his stiff legs to scream pain at him. Ignoring it, he tried to walk briskly over to the hospital bed; where he planned to lay down, and be uncooperative for the rest of the checkup.

She'd feared him, and all he'd done was be nice, or his own version of nice, to her all morning. He knew no one could do anything but fear him. Even this girl who didn't know him thought he was a monster. No matter how civil he was towards her. He tried to walk over to the bed. He failed miserably, however, and felt his stiff knees buckle under the swift, unexpected movement. Gaara braced himself for impact, which never came. Instead he felt a pair of slender, yet strong arms wrap around his back; his head fell into something soft and warm. Looking up, he saw the nurse staring down at him through dark worried eyes. He nearly ripped himself away, seeing as he'd fallen straight into her chest.

"What's wrong? You've been so cooperative until now, I don't understand," she said, sounding a little disappointed. She tried to help him back to the hospital bed, but he pushed her away, struggling to walk on his own. He felt her temper boil.

"Stop it! You're going to strain yourself, and end up more injured than you were when you got here! Let me help you!" she ordered sternly, to which he just glared her down fiercely.

"I told you I don't need your help woman!" he snarled at her. Her dark eyes widened in surprise, seeming kind of crestfallen, but blazed with angry fire in an instant.

"I told you! I'm your doctor now, and I'm going to heal you whether you like it or not! Now stop pushing yourself! Your muscles and joints aren't ready for so much after being stagnant for over a week!" she yelled in both anger and worry. He sneered at her, throwing her off once again, happy when he heard her hit the wall with a thud.

"Why are you doing this!?" she cried out, causing him to look back at her. She looked confused and upset. He glared at her furiously until he saw her flinch. He allowed Shukaku to show through his eyes. When he saw the fear enter her eyes, he smirked. 'You are scared,' he thought.

"I am a monster, I was born a monster, and I will always be a monster. You fear me do you not?" he asked in a quiet, but menacing tone. She started to tremble, there was that look again. Shia tried to pull herself together. 'He likes it when I'm scared,' she told herself. Her body continued to tremble, her mind going into a frenzy. 'Calm down. The demon feeds on fear,' she thought. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and sent a level stare into his eyes. Fire flashed in his aqua eyes. (Kill her now! That wench is challenging you!) Shukaku roared in his mind. Shia felt the familiar coarseness of the sand going up her leg.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked again, not allowing the fear inside to show  
on the surface. The fear is what fueled that entity inside him. 'If I don't show him any fear, maybe he'll be able to fight the beast,' she thought.

"Didn't I tell you before. I was born a monster…a monster who thirsts for blood, and the blood I've chosen is yours," he said in a slow, calculated, and almost lustful tone. Shukaku flooded his senses with blood lust, making it almost impossible for him to keep control. This is not what he wanted. He didn't want to kill the nurse. Ignore her yes. Agitate her with uncooperativeness yes. Frighten her just a little...maybe. Kill her..no. Gaara wanted no more innocent blood on his hands. Her deep blue eyes stared unflinchingly up at him.

"No one is born a monster. Monsters are made, over time, with hatred," she said, calmly and levelly. He felt himself gasp, and like a bucket of ice water was thrown on him, he felt himself come back to the surface. His sand retreated into the gourd, and he just stood there, staring down at the woman against the wall. Shia wondered what was going on in his mind. Did he win control, or were they still battling now?

"Are you alright..um...?" she asked. He just continued to stare at her for a minute. 'Monsters are made, over time, with hatred…'

"Gaara," he said, looking away. Shia let out a breath, and shot him a confused glance. Obviously he'd won the battle against the demon inside of him.

"Wha.."

"My name is Gaara," he said blankly.

Knowing he couldn't make it to the bed with his stiff joints, he opted to let himself fall into the chair next to the door. Her dark eyes followed him intently; she still hadn't moved off the floor. It was silent for a long time. Gaara just pondered on his nurse's statement. 'No one is born a monster. Monsters are made, over time, with hatred.' Did that mean she didn't think he was a monster? Did it mean she's admitting to thinking he's a monster? What did it mean? 'Monsters are made…' She was right. When he was younger, he could remember wanting to have friends. He could remember wanting to care for other people. He used to be upset when Shukaku hurt them. It was their hatred of him, that had turned him into what he'd become. Yashamaru's betrayal had merely sped up the process.

"Gaara-san," he heard the nurses voice call. He turned his pale eyes on her worried expression.

"Are you alright?" she asked again. He just stared at her again.

"You were afraid," he said bluntly. She blinked, taken aback. Her dark eyes became serious.

"I..I was," she said honestly, "I thought you were going to kill me. You told me you were going to kill me. Of course I was scared," she answered. 'Not what I'm talking about,' he thought.

"No, not then, before that. During the analysis, you got scared when I spoke to you. I hadn't done anything yet, but you feared me," he said, an almost undetectable hint of bitterness in his monotonous voice. She thought back, running over the moment in her mind. 'He thought I was scared. It must be tiring having people judge you before they know you.'

"No…no. I wasn't afraid, I was just startled at your voice. Temari-san told me you didn't talk much, and I tried to make it so you wouldn't have to. I didn't expect you to say anything," she explained, making him feel like a little bit of an idiot for jumping to conclusions. He heard a nervous giggle, and directed his gaze in the direction of its issuer. She still looked a bit shaken up, but instead of fear there was now guilt in her eyes.

"Is that why you were mad? Gomen Gaara-san…I wasn't afraid of you before the sand started going up my leg," she said, giving him a weak smile. He could see she was still getting over their violent argument. Shia's dark eyes flicked over to the clock on the nightstand, and widened.

"Oh Kami! We've got to get going. I have to fill out your discharge papers. You have to get settled at home, and we still have to finish up this analysis," she said, looking frantic. The nurse pulled herself up swiftly, stabilizing herself on the nightstand before walking over to her clipboard. He watched her write some things down and walk back over to him.

"Just stay there for a minute," she said, opening the door so she could poke her head out, "One of you idiots get in here with a wheelchair pronto!" she yelled into the hall. She looked down at him, and sighed dramatically. He actually kind of liked the lack of respect she showed to the medical staff of the hospital. It was entertaining...and well deserved.

"Alright, um…after the wheelchair gets here I'm just going to have you walk over and sit down. I'll ask you some questions about how it felt and we'll get moving," she said, as a nurse rushed in with a chair. He glared at it.

"I don't want that, it'll make me look weak," he said, and she just laughed.

"Boys…...your body can't handle so much action as stiff as it is right now. This will be the easiest way," she said. He knew the nurse was right, but he didn't want to show the villagers any more weakness than he already had.

"I don't need it," he said stubbornly. She glared.

"Let's not start this again. Just trust me will you. I'm you doctor, would I hurt you?" she asked, staring at him through pleading navy eyes. He growled, earning another glare. He glared back at her full force. Finally she let out an exasperated cry throwing her arms up in the air dramatically.

"Okay, I'm not going to be able to heal you properly if we keep fighting like this. Let's just start over…hi, my name is Akito Shia, and I am going to be your doctor/physical therapist for the next few weeks," she said, holding out her hand to him. Gaara eyed her tiny hand, letting the wheels turn in his mind.

"Sabaku no Gaara," he said flatly, giving her small hand a little shake. If she was willing to wipe the slate clean, it would give him an undeserved third chance to change her outlook on him. Not that he actually knew her outlook on him; he just assumed it was the same as everyone else's. She smiled before walking over to a drawer and pulling out a stack of papers.

"Okay Gaara-san, walk over to the chair. Take your time, and focus on how your muscles and joints feel. I'm just going to get these discharge papers out of the way," she said, clicking open a pen and running the point swiftly over specific points on the clean white paper.

Gaara pushed himself up into a standing position. He fought a grimace as his joints cried out in pain. He felt so stiff, but fought it in order to walk slowly, and uncomfortably over to the wheelchair. With every step he felt his muscles ache, and his joints groan under his weight. 'Amazing how hard it is to walk when you've laid down so long,' he thought, glad to see he finally made it to the chair. He blew out a long breath as he eased himself into the seat. Finally he looked at his occupied nurse. She was on the last sheet in the packet, somewhere in the middle.

"Nurse," he said, and navy eyes looked up at him, the concentration fading from their blue depths.

"I told you, my name is Shia, Akito Shia," she said, returning her gaze to the papers. He was a little shocked, but decided he didn't want to argue any more.

"Akito-san," he said. She looked back up at him, and smiled.

"Better," she admitted. Her navy eyes became professional once again as she went into doctor mode.

"Now, did you feel any pain, nod once for a little, twice for a lot, and shake your head for no," she said. He nodded once, and he saw her move the papers aside to scribble on her clipboard. After about ten minutes both the analysis and the discharge papers were done.

"We're making good time," she said, adjusting her Konoha forehead protector. Shia grasped the handles of his wheelchair and started pushing. She stopped when she heard his irritated growl.

"I know you don't like the chair Gaara-san, but I can't have you aggravating your muscles just yet. I'll need to work out the kinks before you'll be able to walk properly," she said. He 'Hn'd'. She sighed.

"Alright, um, what if you disguise yourself to look like someone else," she said, smiling at her ingenious idea.

"You can do it right? You are a ninja," she said, he nodded, making a hand sign and muttering "Transform" before a puff of smoke surrounded him. When it cleared, an old man with white hair sat in the wheelchair. Shia smiled and patted his shoulder with her hand.

"Good job," she said, he 'Hn'd' and she wheeled him out of the room. 'Interesting day,' she thought to herself.

a/n: well that's it, see ya next chapter! Review please!


	7. It'll Be Our Secret

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my : I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6

Shia and Temari sat in a small, cozy looking tea shop a few blocks away from Kazekage tower where Gaara was in bed…finally. It was a nice break from working and the funeral. Shia was all around just glad to be able to relax. Between fighting with Gaara, healing him, sending constant reports to Konoha, and her recent nightmares, it was just a lot. There's only so much a twelve year old girl can handle.

"So, was Gaara any better today?" Temari asked, looking up from her tea with green eyes. Shia sighed and chuckled a little bit, remembering what had happened this morning. 'Probably best I don't tell her he attacked me again,' she thought to herself.

"Yes, everything went fairly smoothly today," she lied through her pearly white teeth. Temari regarded the younger girl skeptically, narrowing her green eyes into slits.

"There were no problems at all?" she asked. Shia hesitated, obviously Gaara's eldest sibling was going to be more difficult to lie to than Kankurou. (Who by the way bought the lie without even a second thought.) This morning, however, when she'd settled Gaara into bed, she'd promised not to mention what happened.

(Flashback)

"Alright, is there anything I can get you? If there's anything you need just ask okay," she said, looking down into calm icy eyes. Gaara blinked once…then twice.

"Just tell me when my brother gets here," he said in his usual monotone.

"No problem Gaara-san," she said, pulling the thin sheet over Gaara's slim form. She then walked over to the small bag she'd retrieved from her hotel room earlier and pulled out a book. Silently Gaara's young doctor sat down and began to read its contents thoroughly.

Gaara just watched the girl for a few moments. She was quiet and focused. Obviously she knew she probably wouldn't get much conversation out of him, and he was inwardly thankful that she respected his introversion. Most people either just looked at him disgusted, or tried to force him to talk to them(Sunagakure elders). This nurse was different, however, she just sat across the room, allowing him his space and resting time. She read a rather large book with the Konoha symbol on the front. She seemed a little too focused on the book..something unreadable, but present was just below the surface of her intent gaze. Something was irking the girl, he'd noticed it since the morning. It seemed she was trying to keep herself busy, so as not to think about something that was plaguing her mind.

"Akito-san," her dark eyes moved up to him from the book, looking at him questionably.

"Hai," she answered softly.

"I'm thirsty," he said flatly, to which she smiled and closed her book.

"Hai, I'll get you some water," she said, placing the book on the table and walking out of the room. Gaara waited until she was gone before he attempted pushing his stiff body up. He glanced at the book, 'Medical Ninjutsu: Guide for the Medic Exam'. 'She's studying?' he thought to himself.

"Hey! You lay back down right now Gaara-san! Bed rest means you have to stay in bed," Shia's irritated voice said from the doorway. She laid the glass of water down on the table next to his bed, and proceeded to push him back down. He growled, and she just glared at him. Even though they'd decided to start over, it seemed that they would always argue. Two dominant personalities clash in most cases. He took a long sip from the glass of water, relishing in the way the cool liquid felt against his parched throat. He looked back up at the nurse.

"Do I really have to stay here for a week?" he asked in a monotonous, but slightly agitated voice. She just sat down on the other side of the room and opened her book again.

"One week of bed rest is what I had to settle on. I know you're a shinobi, so getting you on your feet as soon as possible is important. I would rather you sleep, but since I know you don't, I'll have to be happy with you just laying in bed. Besides, the bed rest is the least of your worries. Wait until the physical therapy starts. I can already tell you won't be too fond of that. It requires human contact, something I know you're not fond of, and especially with me. As you've made it so 'literally' painfully clear to me that you dislike me. Oh, don't get upset. I forgive you. Just try and be nicer for Kami's sake, I'm just trying to help," she said in an irritated tone. He just stared at her for a minute. They'd wiped the slate clean, but he knew it would take time for her to completely get over his unwarranted attack on her. He didn't blame her.

"Akito-san," he said. She lifted her eyes up to send him an annoyed glare.

"Will you just lay down already?" she snapped. He glared, but his eyes went blank in an instant. This arguing was getting tiring. He couldn't afford to waste energy he'd need to fight Shukaku at night.

"About what happened before.." he started. Her eyes softened. 'He must really be upset about it for him to keep talking about it. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up,' she thought to herself.

"Don't worry Gaara-san. I don't hate you. You're forgiven," she said with a small smile. His expression was shocked for a moment, but it was very brief. In an instant his usual impassive face stared back at her.

"I do not wish for my siblings to know. I've worried them enough," he said, laying back down and dragging the sheet up to his chin. He closed his eyes, prepared to simulate sleep without falling asleep. There was silence, and he felt the nurse's aura go through a series of emotions. Finally it relaxed, and he heard her breath out a sigh.

"Don't worry Gaara-san. They don't have to know everything that happens between us. It'll be our secret. I promise," she said, and looked back down at her book.

(flashback end)

Shia was shaken out of her daze by a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Temari's expectant green eyes staring back at her. 'Well, I can't tell her about that. I'll just make something up,' she thought.

"Well, I wouldn't say no problems at all. He was stubborn, and cold. He was a jerk and at one point I was seriously thinking of hitting him over the head with something. He refused the wheelchair, and we argued nonstop. But, finally he just did as he was told and I relented and allowed him to transform himself into an old man so no one would see him in the chair. Seriously, boys and their god damned pride. Makes you just want to strangle them sometimes eh?" the young nurse said, lifting a brow at the older blond Sand-nin across from her.

"Oh, yea, my little brothers have huge ego problems, though they'd both deny it," Temari said, seeming content with Shia's explanation. 'Omission of the truth…successful,' the young medic thought to herself as she glanced over the pages of her study guide book. The green eyed girl across from her leaned over, interested in what it said.

"What's that you're reading?" the blond asked curiously. Shia grunted without looking up from its pages.

"It's a book on medical ninjutsu. A medic-nin has the same levels as other ninja, genin, chunnin, and jounin. However, there is a special test we must pass in addition to the chunnin and jounin exams in order to move up in our medic status. My clan is known for medical ninjutsu, but that doesn't mean that we can't use offensive jutsus. My sensei forbade me from participating in the last chunnin exams, because she says I am not prepared offensively enough, and I still need to study for the medic exam more. If I passed the Chuunin exam as a regular ninja, I'd still be a Genin in the medi-nin world. You can't take one test and not the other. I wasn't strong enough in either aspect," She explained.

"I don't think that's true. I haven't seen you fight, but you're a very good medic, advanced for your age," Temari said. Shia smiled.

"Thanks, but no one is perfect. I've still got a lot of learning to do. Plus, I was actually going to go through some of my physical therapy books tonight. Gaara-san's body is different from any of my other patients. I'll have to work out a unique treatment for him," she said, sighing and looking back down at the book. Suddenly the big book from hell was snapped shut. Navy blue eyes shot up to meet big green ones.

"You can study later. I think you've earned yourself a little lunch break," the older teen said. Shia looked hesitant for a moment, but sighed and put the book away anyways.

"I'm sorry, it was rude of me to…"

"It's okay. It seems like you've got a lot on your mind," Temari interrupted.

"Yea, I do," Shia said, her voice sounding a little distant.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the older girl asked. The young medic looked hesitant and unsure of herself for a second. She'd never told anyone about what happened to her all those years ago.

'I shouldn't worry her with this...I can handle it,' she thought.

'But she'll worry if you don't tell her too. Perhaps if you explain it to her, she'll just understand,' a voice in the back of her mind noted.

'I suppose you're right,' the young girl thought back to her conscience.

Sabaku Residence

"So Gaara, you feel good being home?" Kankurou asked from the doorway. His younger brother's blackened lids opened to reveal his stunning green eyes. For an instant he thought he saw some excitement in them, but it was so fast he swore he was just seeing things.

"It's better than that damned hospital," the younger answered in his dead pan tone. His older brother laughed and plopped himself down in the chair next to him. He noticed a small note on the night table next to Gaara's bed.

'Kankurou,

Make sure Gaara-san doesn't get out of bed. Make sure he eats a decent lunch and takes some of the strengthening herbal mixture I left in the kitchen. I've gone with Temari for lunch and will return within an hour or so. I'll see you then,

Akito Shia'

Kankurou sighed, and looked back at his younger brother. Gaara just stared from him to the letter expectantly. 'Ooh, he wants me to tell him what it says,' the elder thought smirking. He just crumpled the note up and through it in the waste bin across the room.

"Score!" he cried when the paper went into the basket without a fuss. He looked back at a slightly angry looking little brother.

"What?" he said innocently. Gaara made a move to get out of bed which only resulted in Kankurou pinning him back down. Green fire blazed up at him from on the bed.

"Listen squirt, you're supposed to be on bed rest. That means you stay in bed. Besides that letter was addressed to me, not you. It would be rude of you to read other people's personal things," the brunette said smirking. His little brother shot him an angry look, but relented nonetheless, and slumped back in bed. His mind wanted to know what the letter said. Did she tell about the incident in the hospital? Did she quit because she didn't want to be near him? She'd left in quite a hurry to go with Temari. Gaara was itching to ask, but his pride would not let him. He didn't want people to think he actually cared or anything like that.

"If you must know it was instructions on how to care for you while she's gone, and an invitation to dinner tonight. She did look pretty nice today," Kankurou said, smirking again at his brother's irritated look. He saw the gourd shake in response to his brother's anger.

"Calm down will ya! I was kidding. Geez, jealous much?" he asked, throwing a sly look at his younger brother, who just stared up at him as if he were the most idiotic person he'd ever met. The look said 'of course I'm not jealous you idiot! Who do you think you're talking to?!'

"Whatever man, I'm gonna go get your new medicine, and some lunch," Kankuro said, walking out of the room. 'Not more medicine,' Gaara thought. 'Isn't this useless raccoon supposed to help me heal faster or something?!' he questioned angrily in his mind.

(Oh, but it's so fun watching you squirm brat! Besides, I'm sick of healing your stupid ass. Do you know how hard I had to work in order to make sure that the poison wouldn't spread so fast? That's the only reason I couldn't get control of your body. You were lucky.) Shukaku explained in his mind. Gaara just growled and forced the demon back into the depths of his mind. 'Stupid demon' he thought as he closed his black rimmed eyes.

Sunagakure Market

"Oh, these are so cute!" Temari exclaimed, pointing to a pair of small fans in the display. They were adorned with small jewels. White with swirling blue designs, Temari could not resist buying them. The wind user thought they may come in handy, if she should ever find herself without her large fan in the thick of battle. She'd decided to take Shia shopping after the younger girl had told her the story of her parents. She wanted to help her friend get her mind off the nightmares.

"Wow, there's so many nice things," Shia said, eying the windows of the shops as they passed buy. They walked past a toy store, and she stopped. Temari turned around to see her friend staring into the window with an adorable expression lighting her features.

"Oh my god he's so cute!" the younger girl cooed into the window. The blond Sand-nin walked up to see a stuffed panda doll with big eyes, and adorable little ears. It looked fuzzy and soft, and she could tell that Shia was absolutely in love with it.

"You should buy it if you want it Shia-chan," Temari said, the girl's navy blue eyes turned on her, and she shook her head.

"No, I'm getting to old for stuffed animals. Besides, I can't waste money on such trivial things. My grandmother always says to be smart with my funds. Medical supplies are expensive, and I'm going to need some new equipment before I start Gaara-san's physical therapy" the young medical-nin explained.

Temari frowned, what kind of grandparent doesn't let their grandkid have stuffed animals. Wasn't Shia from some huge, important Clan in Konohagakure? Were they making her pay for her own supplies all by herself? What the hell?! The girl was like twelve! She watched Shia eye the bear sadly, then turn and walk away. The older teen watched her friend's back retreat, and made a mental note to come back and buy the bear for her later. It could be like a "thank you" gift from the Sabaku family.

'Heh, Sabaku family…never thought I'd ever refer to us as that. I'm glad…and when did it become Gaara-san?' the blond thought. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see one of the Sand's Jounin behind her.

"Temari-san," he said, bowing his head. She bowed back.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Kankurou-san sent me to tell you that there is a letter for Akito-san waiting at your home from Konohagakure," he answered. She nodded and dismissed him.

"Shia-chan!" she called out, causing the younger girl to turn and face her.

"Hai, Temari-san," she answered, walking back up to the older girl.

"We have to get back home. There's a letter from your village waiting for you," the older girl said.

"Hai," Shia answered, following closely behind her older friend.

"And Shia-chan," the blond said, navy eyes looked up, "Drop the formality please, I think you've earned that much."

"Hai, Temari-chan," Shia said smiling. Temari nodded as they continued on to the Sabaku residence at Kazekage Tower.

a/n: okay, well, that's it for this chappie! Hope you liked it, and please review! Reviews make me a happy writer! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed!  
What's the letter for? Will Gaara stop being a jerk? Will the Sabakus be a family? Stay tuned and find out. Muwahz!


	8. Are We Friends?

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 7

Shia and Temari walked into the living room of the Sabaku residence only to be greeted with the face of none other than Konoha's laziest ninja. The lanky, brunette Chunnin looked at them with a calm, slightly bored expression on his face. His dark eyes gave them a look that said 'sit down so we can get this troublesome talk over with.'

"What are you doing here?" Temari asked, glaring at him slightly. Nara Shikamaru just stared at her disinterestedly. Shia took a seat next to Kankurou on the couch, while Temari just stood glaring at the younger boy.

"I'm just here to retrieve Shia-san, and give her a letter from the new Hokage," he said in a bland tone. Shia's dark blue eyes widened.

"Oh, so they've already put the Fifth into office," she stated. The young Nara just nodded, handing over a piece of paper with the fire country seal on it. She opened it quickly.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Akito Shia,

A new Hokage has been put into office, and that person is me. My first action as Hokage is to assess the ninja I have available for missions. I have been informed of your medical endeavor in Suna, so I will keep our meeting brief, and allow you to return immediately afterwards. Being an heiress to one of Konoha's important ninja clans has its downfalls. We'll talk more on that matter when you get here. You are to report to my office immediately after you arrive. We have to talk about a lot of things that will be disclosed when you arrive. Have a safe trip. I'll see you when you get here.

Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Shia stared at the document in disbelief. The new Hokage was Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin. The best medical ninja in the history of medical ninjutsu. Her hero and idol. The young medic looked up to this beautiful, strong, and intelligent woman ever since she could remember. Now she was going to meet her. She couldn't help a little shiver of excitement that rushed through her. She settled down however, and turned her attention on the Nara.

"When do we leave?" she asked him.

"Tomorrow at daybreak. I'd like to get there as quickly as possible," he said, yawning. Temari snorted, mumbling something about lazy men, while Shikamaru just sent her a cool look of irritation mumbling about "troublesome women". Shia folded the letter and stuffed it in her bag.

"Alright then. Temari-chan, do you think that your village will lend us the desert horses again? I want to go and get back as soon as possible. There seems to be so many things interrupting my treatment of your brother," she said. Temari just nodded.

"They'll be waiting for you at the gates," she said, still eying the Nara with an amused look. Though her green eyes had an almost undetectable tint of interest in them. He just sighed, obliviously missing the look he was receiving, and began walking out of the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he said, throwing a careless wave over his shoulder, and walking out of the door. Shia got up to head in the direction of her patient's room. The two Sand-nin followed her silently. They stood in the doorway as she walked in.

"Gaara-san," she said, his light eyes opened up to stare at her impassively. She sat down in the chair next to his bed.

"Did you take the mixture I left for you?" she asked. He 'hn'd'.

"That's good. Just make sure you stay in bed. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Konoha," she said. He looked shocked for a moment.

'She did quit,' he thought. She just looked at him for a moment, until he turned away. 'I guess there is no hope for me,' he thought, feeling slightly angry that she was just going to give up on him.

(You truly are an idiot boy.) Shukaku said rudely in his head. He ignored it.

"I'll be back in two days, so don't think that you'll get away with anything while I'm gone. I'm going to leave specific instructions with your siblings. You'd better stay in bed while I'm gone, or I'll have to add more time to your bed rest Gaara-san," he heard the nurse say.

(Told you.) Shukaku said. Gaara growled.

'Shut up,' he thought back. She hadn't given up on him. He turned around to see her looking rather irritated. Were they going to argue again? He just couldn't take another argument. Their arguments were always so violent... and exhausting.

"Hn," he said, not moving his eyes from her agitated face.

"I'd rather not go, but apparently the new Hokage is itching to meet the shinobi of her village, and start handing out missions," she said. He just stared back at her coolly. She sighed, and rose to leave.

"That's all I guess. I should get back to my hotel room and pack my things," she said.

"Akito-san," he called hesitantly. She looked back at him. For a moment he just stared at her.

"I will stay in bed," he finished. She smiled and nodded her thanks. Uncomfortable with the way his lips wanted to move in a foreign way...Gaara turned his eyes back onto his sheets. Shia walked past a very confused pair of sand siblings who just followed her to the door.

"I'll see you guys in two days," she said, smiling and going to open the door. She was stopped by a tan, calloused hand on her wrist. She looked up to see Kankurou smiling down at her.

"I think you should stay here tonight," he said. She tilted her head in confusion.

"Why?" she asked. Temari grabbed her other wrist and they both began to pull her into the kitchen.

"Well, you're already here, and Temari and I kind of already told someone to go get your things. Oh, and we kind of already decided you'd be staying here," Kankurou said, pushing down on her shoulders to make her sit. She sat down, looking very confused.

"Shia-chan, since you will be here for an extended amount of time, Kankurou and myself have decided that you should stay here in our guest bedroom. It'll keep you close to Gaara, in case anything else happens, and your council won't have to pay for that nice room you've got at the hotel," Temari explained. Shia blinked, then again, and then tilted her head to the side.

"We would like very much for you to agree. It would make us feel a lot better to have Gaara's doctor in the house with him," Kankurou said with pleading eyes, and that cute doofy smile of his. The young medic just sat staring at them. They wanted her to stay with them? She couldn't encroach on them.

"I wouldn't want to be a burden," she said, shaking her head. Kankurou's face fell, and she automatically felt bad for wiping his smile off.

"You're not going to be a burden. You're here on business; taking care of our brother," Temari said, sending her a look that said 'stay with us please, I can't stand being the only girl around here!'

"And hopefully cooking too," her brunette brother added, "I don't know if Gaara told you, probably not, but Temari isn't the best cook," he said. His sister thwacked him on the head with her fan.

"Ow!" he cried, glaring at his older sister. She just smirked back at him.

"So, what do you say?" the Sand Kunoichi asked, turning her amused green gaze back to Shia. The younger girl was hesitant.

"Does Gaara-san know about this?" she asked. Temari just smiled.

"Hai," she answered. Shia narrowed her eyes at the blond.

"And he's okay with this arrangement?" she asked, skeptical about the whole situation. The older teens just smiled and laughed.

"Hai!" Kankurou answered, rubbing the back of his head where his older sister had hit him. Shia was shocked. Gaara didn't mind her being in his house; yet he'd made it obvious he didn't like her too much. It all seemed strange to her.

"So Shia-chan…" Kankurou began. She looked at him through suspicious eyes, and he just grinned stupidly.

"Baka," Temari muttered, walking away into her youngest brother's room.

"What is it Kankurou-san?" she asked, he frowned.

"Listen Shia-chan, just call me Kankurou...okay?" he said, looking at her calmly.

"Gomen Kankurou-sa..I mean Kankurou," she smiled, and he grinned back at her.

"So, do you think you could make us some dinner?" he asked with pleading brown eyes. She sighed and nodded, heading for the kitchen. She saw him do a small victory dance before she disappeared behind the kitchen door. 'Is Temari-chan that bad of a cook?' she asked herself.

Gaara's room

Gaara opened his eyes when he felt the familiar presence of his sister walking over to him. She smiled down at him, reaching down a hand to ruffle his blood red hair. Gaara pouted slightly without realizing, causing his sister to laugh. She never thought it was possible for such an adorable expression to cross her brother's face; even if it had been involuntary.

"You really do look like a little strawberry shortcake Gaara" she said, giggling. He glared at her. 'I do not look like a strawberry shortcake,' he thought in his head.

(You kind of do...) Shukaku said. Gaara scowled. He was broken out of his would-be argument with the demon by his sister's voice.

"I talked to Shia-chan," Temari said, walking over to open the window. The gentle breeze felt good against his hot skin. Gaara 'hn'd'.

"She says it's okay with her as long as you don't mind," she said. The redhead looked over at his older sister in slight surprise. Shia cared what he thought? She was always so pushy about things during their time together as doctor and patient. He just figured she would stay here if she wanted to, whether he wanted it or not.

'Why would she think I wasn't okay with it?' he thought to himself.

(Because we tried to kill her twice, and can't seem to stop fighting with her. Honestly, I don't understand why we can't just crush her, she's just a nuisance anyway. All you two ever do is fight, just kill her already.) Shukaku said in his mind. Gaara ignored the demon. Truth be told he kind of liked the arguments they had. It was a source of infinite entertainment to anger the girl, and when they argued, no matter how angry she was at him, she'd always just sigh, and forgive him in the end. Eventually, no matter how violent the argument got, they'd get tired and stop. After a short glaring contest, she'd just growl and suggest they forget about it.

No matter how mean he was to her one day, she always came to him with a positive mind the next. Arguing with the girl gave him a certain security. It allowed him to test his theories on forming bonds. He tried to push her to her limits of anger. When he could see that she wanted to physically pummel him into the ground, he knew that it was time to stop. While she struggled to control her anger, they would have a glaring contest, which he almost always won. Then she'd just forgive him and act like nothing happened. Seeing that he could anger her until she wanted to kill him, and still gain her forgiveness made him feel good. It affirmed his belief that he could change what people thought of him. He could change the way he lived his life.

"Gaara, I'm glad you're being more cooperative. It's nice to see you have better control over yourself," Temari said, once again breaking him out of his pondering. He looked shocked for a second. No…he had tried to kill the nurse today. 'She really kept her promise,' he thought, bewildered.

"Hn," he answered, keeping his face impassive. Temari smiled lovingly at her little brother. He let his lips quirk up, failing at a smile once again, but getting a friendly smirk to take its place. His sister leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek before rising to leave.

"You know Gaara, you should rest some more. We'll bring you some dinner when it's done. Love ya my little strawberry shortcake," she said, bouncing out of the room before he could scold her for calling him that. 'I hope she doesn't make that my new nickname,' he thought to himself.

In the Dining Room

Shia set three places at the large mahogany table before rushing back into the kitchen to serve the food. She thought she'd done a decent job cooking. She wasn't the best cook in the world, but she wasn't bad either.

"Temari-chan..Kankurou! Dinner's ready!" she called out, dishing out three servings of food. A black blur darted across her vision. She turned to see Kankurou sitting at the dining table, his dark eyes stared at her expectantly. She couldn't stifle a laugh as she set his food down in front of him. He went to eat some but she slapped his hands away. For this Shia received a hungry glare, to which she just laughed.

"Wait for everyone to be seated Kankurou," she said in a chastising, yet slightly amused tone.

"Yea you big oaf, wait until everyone gets here before you stuff your fat face," Temari drawled strolling in and sitting at her spot. Kankurou glared at her fiercely.

"I'M NOT FAT YOU STUPID BITCH!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Temari just snorted.

"Could've fooled me baka!" she said calmly. The younger of the two started shaking with anger.

"AT LEAST I'M NOT SOME UGLY TYRANT SLUT!" he yelled angrily in his older sister's face. She just stared coolly back at him.

"Shut up and eat your dinner dumbass," she said, picking up her chopsticks and beginning to eat.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO WHORE! DON'T YOU THINK I HAVEN'T NOTICED THE WAY YOU WERE EYING UP THAT NARA KID! YOU WERE READY TO JUMP HIS BONES EARLIER YOU SLUT!" Kankurou yelled, smirking at the end because he knew he'd get a reaction this time. Temari's placid green eyes turned into hell flames. Kankurou flinched slightly. 'Oops, maybe I went to far,' he thought, then smirked, 'Nah, I haven't gone far enough.'

"Yea that's right Temari, I saw the way you checked out that Nara boy when he came here. Like he was a piece of meat you were ready to gobble up," he said, smirking evilly. His older sister's eyes became dangerous, as her hand started to shake with anger. Shia thought it a good time to bring Gaara his dinner. She walked swiftly into the kitchen, and then made her way as fast as she could to Gaara's room.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU KANKUROU! YOU'RE GONNA DIE!" she heard Temari's voice yell furiously. Shia quickly opened and closed the door behind her, feeling safer immediately. It struck her oddly for a second, feeling safer in a room with the boy who'd tried to kill her twice. The young medic just shrugged it off and turned to face those familiar cold eyes.

"I brought you dinner," she said quietly, dragging the night stand so that Gaara could eat off of it. She placed the food on the night table, and turned to leave.

"You shouldn't go out there," she heard her patient's calm, monotonous voice say from behind her. The girl paused with her hand on the knob of the door.

"Why not?" she asked without turning around. CRASH!

"DIE YOU MAKEUP WEARING BASTARD!"

"FUCK YOU, YOU DUMB WHORE!"

Shia's eyes widened in shock. She'd never seen siblings act this way towards one another. She'd never had siblings, so technically she didn't know how they acted towards each other. She heard another loud bang, and a pained grunt. The girl felt her medic instincts flood her as she turned the knob, prepared to rush out and stop whatever bleeding might be going on.

"Don't," she heard the boy behind her warn. She let go of the knob and turned to face him. He looked as uncaring as ever, and was staring at the food with an apprehensive look.

"Gaara-san?"

"Hn"

"Are they always like this?"

"Hn…"

"What if Temari-chan is hurt?"

"You should be more worried for Kankurou," he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Shia glanced back at the door, but turned around to sit in the chair by the redhead's bed. Gaara was eying the food suspiciously, which caused her to smile. She held back the laughter that threatened to come out at the sight of his 'inspection'.

"It's not bad I don't think. I usually do a pretty good job cooking," she said, causing those emotionless aqua eyes to look up at her. She stared back at him, allowing some amusement to shimmer in her eyes. He glared, and she smiled.

"It's not like it's going to bite you back," she said with a little laughter in her voice.

"That doesn't scare me. Temari's dinner did that once," he said emotionlessly. Shia couldn't hold back the wave of laughter she'd been fighting. Gaara stared at her with a confused tint in his light eyes. She just kept laughing. The funniest part of the whole thing is that he'd been completely serious. He wasn't making a joke at all. 'How is it he can be so funny without even trying?' she thought. Finally she pulled herself together, and tried to get her breath back.

Gaara stared at the girl as if she had five heads. He was not expecting that reaction. In fact, Temari had cooked something of a 'dinner monster' one time. It was the truth, but his doctor just laughed her ass off as if he were making a joke. Her laughter was loud, but not unpleasant. It flowed out of her so easily, making him feel a strange bubble in his throat. It felt like it needed releasing, but the young Suna shinobi had no idea of how to go about doing so. Her joyful laughter calmed down to a quiet giggle as she tried to regain her composure. It was different, and confusing. Nobody laughed in his presence, except his siblings from time to time.

"You know Gaara-san, you're so unintentionally funny sometimes," she giggled, throwing an amused look at him through glittering navy eyes.

He just picked up his chopsticks and began eating silently. It was good; and it made him kind of glad she'd now be staying with them. Maybe she could teach Temari how to cook, then finally Kankurou and Gaara could eat good food for once. Not that he didn't appreciate all that Temari did for him, after he'd started paying attention to his family, he'd finally realized just how much Temari sacrificed for them. She had no social life, she went on a lot of solo missions in order to keep food on the table. Sure, their father had left them money, but the council was still trying to find all of the loopholes in the late Kazekage's will. Temari had no friends in the village...she didn't date either. She just worked, slept, and took care of them. So no...Gaara wasn't ungrateful for all the things his sister did for him, it's just, he wished she were a better cook is all.

The sound of pounding footsteps, and painful cries continued. When things were quiet for a while, he knew it was because Kankurou had outrun Temari enough to find a decent hiding spot. Seconds later there'd be a loud crash, and more screaming threats of death from his sister. He wondered how many dishes they'd have to replace this time. He wondered if maybe they really would be paying for a funeral soon. Temari was awfully angry, he wouldn't be surprised if she did kill the middle child of their family. He readied himself to protect at the slightest hint of murderous intent emanating from his sister. He didn't want his brother to die so soon after they'd finally started getting closer.

The redhead noticed that his nurse hadn't said anything in a while, so he glanced up from his food to look at her. She had a small smile on her lips as she fingered through a thick book. 'The Art of Physical Therapy'. She was studying again. It actually made him feel good. She was brushing up on physical therapy before she started his treatment. It made him feel like she was trying extra hard just for him. It made him feel like it was important to her that she do everything right, just like any normal patient. Of course what he didn't know is that she didn't think of him as any different than 'normal' patients. Just a little more violent.

She was young, and instead of pretending she knew all the answers, she studied. This girl was very real. Very truthful. She didn't try and pretend that she knew everything. She accepted the fact that she was still learning and didn't have a problem showing it. She was imperfect, and liked herself all the same. He could learn something from her. She had many admirable qualities he'd like to one day have himself.

"Have you eaten?" he felt himself ask, not too sure why he cared. Her surprised dark eyes looked up at him from her book. Then she smiled, sending friendly warmth through his body. It confused him, but he did not let anything show on his face. On the outside he kept his impassive mask up, full force.

"I haven't, but it's okay I don.." she started.

"DIE!" screamed Temari's now banshee like voice. They heard a large crash from not too far away, and then a pained cry from Kankurou. Her blue eyes widened slightly, then rested back on her patient's face with slight amusement in their dark depths.

"I don't think I want to go out there," she said again, smiling and looking back down at her book.

The room fell into a comfortable silence. Gaara silently agreed that she probably should not go out there. Though he did fear for Kankurou's life at the moment. He'd seen Temari angry, but the mention of the Nara seemed to have pushed her into a blind rage. Which only proved the fact that she had some kind of feeling towards the younger ninja. Gaara hoped that Kankurou wasn't in too much pain. He definitely didn't want to see the bloody pulp the eldest of the three had probably turned the puppet master into.

The young Suna shinobi felt himself getting weary and full from the nicely cooked food he was eating. He pushed the plate away from him, then took a long swig from the glass of iced tea. He felt full, and content actually, surprising himself a little. Content wasn't a feeling that he was used to. This whole being family idea really had its benefits. Though Temari and Kankurou's fighting was obnoxious, the young redhead couldn't help but find it amusing.

As if they were queued his two older siblings came bursting into the room. Temari readied a steak knife in her hand (she's really scary when she's angry), and threw it, just as Kankurou dove behind Shia's small form. Both Sand-nin's eyes widened, Temari looking horrified because she couldn't stop the knife from going now.

Shia was staring down at Kankurou with a confused look in her eyes. She felt the presence of a knife whizzing at her from behind, and knew she could not dodge in time. She moved over quickly, bracing herself for the knife's impact with her shoulder instead of the back of her head. It never came. She heard the object thud on the floor. Opening her dark blue eyes, she saw a wall of sand in front of her.

The young medic looked behind her to see her patient staring stoically back at her. They just stared at each other for a few moments, not really sure what had just happened. Gaara had no idea why he'd protected the girl, it was almost like an instinct. It was like he was afraid to see her blood spilled. (She has sweet blood. I can tell. She would look great laying in a pool of her own, pure, untainted blood, begging for her life. I want to taste that blood.) Shukaku purred lustily in his mind. Gaara did his best to ignore it.

'Ah…that's why I didn't want the knife to hit her,' he thought. Kankurou's loud groan snapped both him and the nurse out of their thoughts.

"Oh, hold on, let me heal you," Shia said, rushing to Kankurou's side the instant the sand shield let down. She helped him into a sitting position. He had a few bruises scattered across his body, however, there was nothing too serious (luckily for him), and Shia was done with him within minutes.

"Shia-chan.." she heard Temari's guilty voice say from behind her. The nurse looked back at the female sand ninja. The blond looked severely guilty, and sad.

"Temari.." Shia started, but stopped as Temari tackled her in a hug.

"I'm sorry! I almost killed you," she exclaimed. Shia hugged her friend back.

"It's okay. I'm fine. It was an accident," she said, pulling back and smiling reassuringly. Temari nodded, and smiled.

"I think we should all get to sleep. Come on Kankurou you dumb bastard," she said, grabbing her brother by the ear and dragging him out of the room while throwing a quick goodnight behind her. Shia smiled, happy the whole incident was over. She walked to the open door, but paused in the doorway. Slowly she turned to face the redhead in the bed. They stared at each other for a few moments.

"Arigato," she said softly, and left the room. Gaara stared at the place where she'd been standing. No one ever talked to him so nicely, or thanked him for anything. Somehow he knew that she was going to be a confusing thorn in his side. Everything about her confused him. From her raging temper down to her talent for forgiveness.

(Early the Next Morning)

Gaara heard a soft rustling from the guest room next to his. ZIP! He heard the sound of a bag closing. The door opened and closed. He heard soft, almost inaudible footsteps padding down the hallway into the living room. There was a light thud, which he gathered was the bag being dropped softly on the floor. The footsteps, which could not be heard by untrained ears, came closer, stopping at his door. The person at the door just stood there for a moment, before knocking quietly on the door. He almost didn't hear it.

"Gaara-san.." he heard the nurse's quiet voice say from behind the door.

"Enter," he said tonelessly. The door opened slowly to reveal a tired looking nurse.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. I left a two day supply of that herbal mixture. I know you don't like it, but it will help build strength. I'll write to check up on you when I reach Konoha," she said, looking at him with weary eyes. He stared back at her coolly. He wondered why she even bothered to come. Did it really matter whether she said goodbye to him or not? Were they friends? Was this friendship?

"Well, I'll see you when I get back," she said, turning and heading towards the open door.

"Akito-san," she stopped at the sound of his voice. She stood in the doorway one hand resting against the frame, and the other at her side.

"What is it Gaara-san? Is there something I can get you before I leave?" she asked, not turning around. His aqua green eyes stared at her back for a moment. He contemplated his next words carefully.

"Are we friends?" he asked, allowing the curiosity in his mind to filter into his words. The young medic gasped at the question. She'd never given it any thought before. 'What to say? Are we friends?' she asked herself.

"Do you want us to be friends?" she asked, turning her head so she could see his face. His cold aqua eyes locked with hers, and for once she could see something in them. Questions, and confusion clouded his pale eyes. She kept her eyes on his, showing him she was not afraid, trying to show him that she did not think the way the others thought.

"I don't know," he said honestly. Her dark eyes continued to stare straight into his. He was all confused in his head. He wanted to be her friend, and he could see she was not closed to the idea. What is it that kept him from being certain that he wanted her as his friend?

"You don't have to make a decision right now Gaara-san. Please get some rest. We can discuss this when I return," she said, letting a friendly smile play on her lips. He nodded and laid back down in the bed. She turned to leave again.

"Goodbye Akito-san," he heard himself say as she left. He let his darkened lids fall over his icy blue eyes. 'What are all these feelings going through my mind? I want to be her friend, but I'm scared she'll hurt me. Just like Yashamaru,' he thought to himself, cringing at the memory of his dead uncle. He heard the front door open and close in the distance, and knew his nurse was gone. Now, he would think.


	9. Meeting Godaime-sama

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: well here's chapter :)

Chapter 8

"So you're Akito Shia," the calm, feminine voice of the Godaime Hokage said in an interested tone.

Shia looked up at her long time idol. The female Legendary Sannin had long blond hair that was pulled into two low ponytails at the base of her neck. She had pretty brown eyes that spoke years of wisdom and even hardship, framed by long dark lashes. There was not a wrinkle on her young looking, flawless skin. She was just as beautiful, if not more so, as Shia had thought she'd be. The Hokage's aura oozed power and strength. She had a demanding presence that could be ignored by none. How Shia dreamed to one day be so strong.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," she answered, bowing her head respectfully.

"As you know, Konoha has been through its share of troubles in the past weeks. We are desperately short on shinobi. Many died in the attack, and the high ranking ninja we have left are busy with missions. I've called you from you mission to talk about a few things. First, I think it is important to mention that Uchiha Sasuke has defected," Tsunade said. Shia gasped. 'What?' she thought.

"He left Konoha of his own free will to join our enemy Orochimaru and the Sound Village. We want to get him back, and as you can probably deduce on your own, both Sakura and Naruto are determined to do so. I will tell you like I have told every Genin, Chunnin, and Jounin that has recently been in this office. Uchiha Sasuke is now a missing-nin of Konohagakure. He is our enemy. If you ever come into contact with him, you are to capture him at all costs, and return him to Konoha, preferably alive," the Hokage explained, watching the variation of emotions flickering over the young medic's face.

Shia processed the new information. Though she had never considered the distant Uchiha a personal friend, she'd never considered him an enemy. She'd never disliked him, except when he was rude to Sakura. She did, however, consider both Naruto and Sakura her friends. She knew that Sasuke's departure had probably been hard on them both. She worried for Sakura the most. Her pink haired friend was truly in love with the Uchiha. Not at all like the countless fan girls who tailed him; Sakura truly had feelings for Sasuke. Shia felt her insides churn with anger towards him. How dare he do something like this to her?

"With that said I'd like to move on. I am aware that you are training for the Chunnin Exam and Medic Exam. From your records I can see you have great potential. Your team has a decent success rate in your missions, and your Jounin sensei speaks highly of you all. I took the liberty of having a meeting with your grandparents. You are the heiress to the Akito Clan, and they have voiced their wishes that you take the next Chunnin Exam. It is a lot of responsibility to have the reputation of your clan on your head, but unfortunately you are all there is to take on that responsibility," Tsunade said.

"I understand. I will continue to train after I have completed my mission in Sunagakure Tsunade-sama," Shia answered. The Godaime smiled at her.

"Your grandparents wish you to train during your mission. They want no spare time used unwisely," the blond woman stated. Shia frowned, 'How can I train and treat Gaara-san at the same time?' she thought to herself.

"Unfortunately, Kane, your Jounin instructor, cannot be spared to train you in Suna. Your grandmother has kindly offered to go in her place. After this meeting you are to go to your home and pick up your grandmother. Then you should return to Sunagakure and complete your mission," Tsunade said. Shia nodded.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," she answered. Tsunade was about to dismiss her when Shizune whispered something in her ear.

"Oh, right. Before you go I have a few more matters to discuss. Firstly, the Akito Clan's laws have been made clear to me. Before you can inherit the clan you must meet the rank of Jounin. That's not all. You must also study the Akito Clan ninjutsu scrolls thoroughly, including the medical ones. You will be tested on both, and must pass in order to inherit your clan. I'm not sure what the test consists of, I'm sure when it's time, your grandparents will clarify the details," Tsunade explained.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama, Arigato," Shia said turning to leave. She heard a light chuckle.

"I haven't dismissed you yet Shia. Your carriage will be waiting for you at the gates. When you return to Konoha in three weeks, I expect to see some growth in you. I have challenged all of my Genin to improve within this time. Times are changing, and it's time for us to step up. There is one more thing I want to tell you," Tsunade said, leaning her chin on her hands and looking at the Genin before her.

"There is an organization that goes by the name of Akatsuki. They are S-class criminals, marked by the uniform of long black cloaks with red clouds on them. They recently came here in order to capture Naruto..."

"Naruto-kun?" Shia said confused. 'What would they want with him?'

"Hai, it seems they are after something Naruto has," the blond Hokage answered.

"What?" the young girl asked curiously.

"Are you aware of what dwells inside of Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

"The demon fox? What do they want with that?" Shia asked, getting a bit worried for her friend. The older woman nodded.

If her knowledge of the nine-tails surprised Tsunade, the blond did a very good job of hiding it. It's not like she had special privileges or rights that allowed her to know one of the villages best kept secrets. It wasn't even that Naruto trusted her more than anyone else, and told her, in fact...he didn't even know she knew. It was kind of an accident that she found out really. One night, a couple of years back when she'd first started being friends with the blond boy, she'd overheard the argument between her grandparents and the head of the Akito Clan Council about it. His feelings were that the Akito Clan heir should not be allowed any where near the dangerous abomination. Her grandparents had promptly told him where he could shove said feelings because they weren't going to stop Shia from making friends, no matter who they were. She never told Naruto that she knew, because she felt that, in time, if he wanted...he would tell her himself. That time was still yet to come, but Shia would patiently wait.

"I don't know, but Akatsuki is after Kyuubi, and that kind of power in their hands spells destruction. If you see anyone who fits the description I gave you, report it immediately," ordered the Godaime. Shia nodded.

"I will Hokage-sama," she answered.

"You are dismissed," she heard, and bowed her head before leaving.

'So much has happened since I left. I think I'll go see Sakura before I leave. I'm sure she's all broken up about this. I hope she's okay. That stupid bastard. How can you just leave everyone who loves you? Is revenge really worth that much?' Shia thought to herself as she walked in the direction of her pink haired friend's house.

Sunagakure: Kazekage Tower

"So Gaara, how are you feeling today?" Temari asked, sitting in the chair that faced her little brother's bed. His light eyes turned on her.

"Are you feeling better? Any stronger?" she asked. He nodded. In fact, he did feel a little stronger. Even though the herbal mixture was utterly disgusting, he was glad Kankurou forced it down his throat three times a day. It had only been a day since the nurse had left, but he felt stronger.

"That's good… You got a letter," she said smiling, and pushing the scroll into his hand. He sent her a surprised look before wiping his face blank.

'I never get mail,' he thought. He eyed it with confusion. Then took it from her. Silently he opened it to reveal neat, precise handwriting that belonged to his nurse.

'Gaara-san,

I hope you are feeling better, and taking the medicine I left you. I will be returning late tomorrow night, and will come check on you if it's not too late. Please tell Temari-chan, and Kankurou that I say hello. I hope you're eating well, and gaining strength. When I return I will go over with you and your family the details of your physical therapy. Please rest, and I'll hold you to that staying in bed promise. I trust you. I'll see you all when I return. It's only been a day, but my house is boring and lonely. It also smells like old people, haha, which I guess is to be expected since only my grandparents live here with me. Well, I suppose I'll see you soon. I miss you all.

Sincerely,

Akito Shia'

Gaara stared down at the letter, for once not caring if his face showed the raging confusion in his mind. The friendly tone of the letter alone threw him off. It was so caring and nice, like he hadn't tried to kill her twice. (She really is a stupid girl. I'll teach her a lesson when she returns.) Shukaku said nastily. Gaara growled. 'You will not!' he thought back harshly. Shukaku chuckled maliciously. (Touchy are we?) he asked slyly. The redheaded ninja just ignored the demon, who in turn cackled and left him be, for now.

She said she trusted him; that she missed him. Sure she'd been addressing them all. But the letter did not say 'I miss you all except Gaara'. So many thoughts rushed through his mind at once he felt himself grasp his head in confusion. Did this mean they were friends? Did it mean she already considered them friends, even if he wasn't ready to call them that yet?

(Flashback

"Akito-san," she stopped at the sound of his voice. She stood in the doorway one hand resting against the frame, and the other at her side.

"What is it Gaara-san? Is there something I can get you before I leave?" she asked, not turning around. His aqua green eyes stared at her back for a moment. He contemplated his next words carefully.

"Are we friends?" he asked, allowing the curiosity in his mind to filter into his words. The young medic gasped at the question. There was a long pause, and he could feel her confusion from the bed.

"Do you want us to be friends?" she asked, turning her head so she could see his face. His cold mint eyes locked with hers. Her dark eyes looked clouded. She was confused, and there was something else in those eyes, hope perhaps. Did he want them to be friends? He wasn't sure. (No, you don't want to be friends with that useless girl. Besides, I will have her blood by the end of this. Don't get attached,) Shukaku growled in his mind. Gaara fought to force the demon back.

"I don't know," he heard himself say…

(End Flashback)

"Gaara, are you okay?" Temari asked, worry radiating off of her. He dropped his hand to his side, and attempted to smile at her. It ended up as more of a crooked grin, but was amicable nonetheless. He saw his older sister let out a long breath of relief.

"Good, well I've got to go 'shortcake' I've got a mission today," the blond said, smiling at her brother's irritated glare. It was obvious he hated the nickname, but he'd just have to deal. 'It's cute,' she thought to herself.

"Goodbye little brother. I'll see you later," she said, turning towards the door.

"Goodbye Temari," he answered.

It got the desired effect, a warm smile accompanied by a swift kiss on the cheek, and a sisterly hug. He watched her leave, not too happy he'd be alone all day, but he allowed himself to lay back, and rest like his doctor wished. He thought back to the small conversation they'd had before she left. 'I think I do want us to be friends. I don't think it is wise to pass this chance. She is the first person who is even remotely open to the idea,' he thought to himself.

With Temari

The young blond walked to the Kazekage's office, where one of the old farts from the council was currently serving as a makeshift Kazekage. She didn't quite know what to expect when it came to the mission. She decided she didn't care, however, and knocked loudly on the door.

"Enter," an old crusty voice said from behind. Temari pushed the door open to reveal the crusty voice's equally crusty owner. Inwardly she snickered, 'Crusty old man,' she though to herself.

"Ah, Sabaku no Temari. I was waiting for you," he said from behind the large desk.

She bowed respectfully, despite the lack of respect she had for him. None of the Sabaku family were too keen on the elders. It was with their permission that Shukaku was placed in her younger brother. It was with their permission that their mother had been sacrificed. It was at their hands, and her father's, that her brother had to live his young life through assassination attempts. It was their fault she'd had to grow up so much sooner than she should have in order to raise her two orphaned brothers. It's not like their father had given a damn about them when he was alive. Thank goodness Baki-sensei came along. If not for him, they'd be lost. Those old bastards had been keeping their father's money from them since he died, and if Baki hadn't come to her aid, Temari would still be exhausting herself to pay the bills. Her hate filled thoughts were disrupted by the worthless old man across from her.

"I have a mission for you. The Godaime Hokage has sent one of her shinobi here to discuss some plans with us. He should be arriving any time now. Our meeting with this representative of Konoha will begin as soon as he gets here. After, it will be your job to make sure he is comfortable, and guide him around Suna. I'm going to make this a C-rank, since your job will include protecting him as well," the old man said. Temari just nodded at him.

"For now, I need you to bring this paper work to the gates. These are his passes and such, he'll need them in order to enter," he said. She took the folder from him and sighed.

"Hai," she said, tucking it under her arm. He nodded.

"When you're done with that, go down to the hospital and get the records of all the medics there," he said, waving her off. She grunted, and scowled her way out of the room, not particularly interested in whatever old bastard she was going to have to put up with today. The blond ninja walked silently towards Sunagakure's huge gates, toying with the edges of the folder as she did.

With Kankurou

"Open up!" Kankurou said, thrusting the disgusting herbs in his younger brother's face. Gaara grimaced, but took the concoction from his older brother and forced himself to swallow it. Immediately afterwards he reached for the glass of water on his nightstand and gulped it down in one breath. After Temari had left, Gaara had been ready to spend the rest of the day by himself. Surprisingly he wasn't alone for long, because Kankurou decided to spend lunch with him again. He was glad.

"Haha, you're funny when you take medicine Gaara. And the best part is, you're not even trying," Kankurou laughed. His redheaded brother just stared at him.

'Am I really so funny?' he wondered, remembering the nurse saying something similar. He looked at his brother's happy smile, and pondered some more. There was something he wanted to ask his brother for the longest time. It had been implied, and he supposed Kankurou thought it was a known fact. However...he had to know…he had to hear it.

"Kankurou…" his brother's brown eyes turned on him.

"What is it?" the surprisingly non make-up clad nin asked. Gaara hesitated a moment. It was an awkward question to ask between brothers. There's this whole unwritten, 'guy's don't show their emotions' rule that makes no sense, yet controls most men any way. Temari had already said it, and said that Kankurou felt the same. But Gaara wanted to here it from his brother's mouth.

"Gaara….what is it?" Kankurou's slightly worried voice asked. The redhead bit his lip, trying to suppress his anxiety ridden nerves. He felt the warm weight of his brother's hand on his shoulder. Looking up, his gaze met with worried, and caring eyes.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me squirt, you know that," the brunette said, using the pet name he'd recently adopted for his younger sibling. Kankurou felt the tenseness of his brother's body, knowing that whatever was going to be said, would be a major step out of the redhead's comfort boundaries.

"Do you love me…niisan?" a very quiet, insecure, and slightly scared version of his brother's usually monotonous voice asked. Kankurou heard himself gasp.

Never had Gaara ever called him 'niisan'. Never in his life that he could remember. The term didn't shock him as much as the tone of his younger brother's voice. Gaara was scared. It was like he was afraid of being hurt. The tone of his voice was almost childlike, bringing the older nin back to the days when his father forbade him from treating the then six year old, as a brother. He remembered seeing Gaara hurting, but their father had brainwashed his two elder children. He made them believe that Gaara was the monster the late Kazekage had locked inside of him. What could they have done..they had been so young at the time. Of course they would believe what their father told them. To hear the redhead speak like this, and call him 'niisan' for the first time was saddening. Kankurou felt his heart clench as he looked into his younger brother's wide, insecure, minty eyes. He looked so small, and vulnerable at this moment; like he'd reverted to the child he once was. Though it gratified him greatly to see his little brother open up to him so much, it was almost painful to look at him.

Gaara stared into his older brother's eyes, and he could feel the anxiety taking hold of his insides and churning them uncomfortably within him. He saw the variety of emotions flickering through the surprised brown eyes staring back at him. Worry, sorrow, guilt, happiness, confusion…a few of the many. He waited…..he had to give his brother time. It was very unlike him to talk about such personal things so openly. Kankurou was obviously completely unprepared for the question. Gaara felt a little guilty, but he had to hear it from his brother's mouth. He had to listen first-hand to the proof that it was true. Finally, Kankurou seemed to have collected himself. The older of the two took a deep breath, and looked down at his younger brother with a happy smile.

"Hai….otouto," he said, watching as his brother's pale eyes widened.

'He called me otouto,' Gaara thought. He let himself smile then. Happy to know that he did have people in this world who loved him, and thought of him as one of their precious people. It was a real smile this time, not a wide happy grin, or a big toothy was a small, calm, but contented smile; and it suited him well. Gaara wondered if he should hug his brother now, or if he'd be rejected. He figured that if Kankurou loved him, why would he care. So, he wrapped his arms unsurely around his brother's waist, feeling him stiffen.

"Oi, squirt, you're sure acting weird today," his brother chuckled, relaxing, and wrapping his arms around his brother quickly with a light pat on his shoulder (one of them boy hugs), then released. He ruffled the fiery red hair affectionately, and excused himself to the kitchen to get some lunch.

Gaara reflected on the hug. It was not as warm or secure as Temari's hugs were, but it was oddly relaxing. It was quick, just a simple embrace/pat on the back, and release. He wondered why girls and guys had different ways of hugging each other. Then again, Kankurou was never a clingy person. It had felt a little awkward. He was glad his brother had decided on the quick method. Brother or no brother, it was odd being hugged by a guy, it just felt kind of uncomfortable. Almost like it was too 'pussy' as Kankurou would probably put it. Perhaps that's why Kankurou didn't like it much. The older of the two returned with lunch and they began to eat.

With Temari

"NANI?!" a loud, not too happy female voice screamed. The ninja next to her just sighed and rubbed his ears.

"You're the representative from Konoha?! I thought you left with Shia-chan," Temari asked in utter disbelief. 'How could Hokage-sama send this lazy kid to do such an important mission?' she thought. The boy's lazy expression remained in place as he yawned.

"Hai….it's troublesome, but, we are shorthanded in our village right now. So many  
troublesome things going on, it's difficult to keep track. Tsunade-sama suggested that I return here after I dropped Shia-san off at the gates of Konoha. Something big is happening soon, " Shikamaru said, looking completely uninterested. Green eyes glared at him, but he just shrugged and walked away.

"I'm starving…isn't there any place to eat in this troublesome village…" he threw over his shoulder. Temari growled, but ran to catch up with him.

"Follow me you lazy bastard," she said, striding out in front of him.

"Troublesome woman," she heard him mumble….

'This is going to be a hell of a long day. Honestly, I'd rather be stuck with Kankurou…..' she cringed at the thought. 'okay, maybe not Kankurou..' she thought to herself.

a/n: and tada! That's the 8th chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! Review and I might just write another.


	10. Troublesome Women and Lazy Geniuses

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: so here it is…

Chapter 9

Tears streamed unrelentingly down the rosette's cheeks. She cried, and trembled with such intensity that Shia feared she may pass out. The Akito Clan heiress felt her insides churn angrily in the thought of what Sasuke had done. He walked away, but not just that, he walked away from the girl who truly loved him. It hurt the blue eyed girl to see her friend in such hysterics.

"I c-couldn't stop him…. just left. I tried everything….I-I cried, and I told him how much I loved him. I told him how much we all loved him. I offered him everything in my heart and soul to keep him here, but he just walked away," she cried out in heart wrenching sorrow. Shia hugged her friend, desperately trying to calm her down. She was used to Sakura's sparkling green eyes and bubbling personality. This…person…this stranger that Sasuke had turned her pink haired friend into truly scared the brunette girl.

"It's not your fault Sakura. Please stop crying," she said, cooing at the girl, rocking her back and forth to try and stop the tears.

"He…he left me unconscious on the bench by the village gates. When I woke up….I…oh Shia-chan!" the pink haired girl cried out, latching to her friend as if she were the last thing tying her to this life.

"I loved him so much. I would have done anything, given him any thing if he would just stay with me. I…I even offered to go with him…...why?!" she cried.

Shia stayed quiet, coaxing her friend to breath. 'Sasuke…you baka! You've given up so much…and for what? Revenge? Is revenge worth all of this? This girl was willing to become a missing-nin for you, and you leave her on a bench alone in the middle of the night? You are going down a dangerous path Uchiha Sasuke…I hope you know what you've done…' the young medic thought to herself.

Sunagakure Diner

"Where is this troublesome waitress so I can order some food?" Shikamaru complained annoyingly. Temari just glared viciously from across the table. It was a look that could make even the most stoic man shiver in his shoes, but it seemingly had no affect on the Nara whatsoever.

"I swear if you say the word troublesome one more time, I'm going to kill you," Temari said in a low, dark tone. The younger ninja smirked at her, placing his hands behind his head. He sent her a level, cool look from his lazy brown eyes.

"You wouldn't want to start a war now Temari-san…wouldn't that just be so…."

"Don't do it.."

"Trou…"

"I'm telling you Nara, don't do it!"

"ble.."

"I swear to Kami-sama you'll pay.."

"some…"

"BAKA!" THWAK!

Haruno Residence

"There, that feels better right?" Shia said after her friend took a sip of fresh, hot tea. Sakura nodded, wiping her eyes, and smiling weakly. It never made it to those once shimmering, joyful jade eyes.

"I'm sorry Shia-chan. You must think I'm so weak. I'm just sitting here crying about his defection. Just sitting around sobbing instead of fighting for him like Naruto or Lee-san," she said, looking depressed. Shia shook her head.

"It's okay to cry Sakura. Someone very important to you has left, but you haven't lost him yet. Just the fact that he had the decency to pick you up off the floor, and lay you on the bench shows that he cares about you. Even if only a little, it is hope. You are a strong girl to be able to survive this," she said, smiling warmly at her friend. Sakura looked up at her with vulnerable green eyes.

"I just wish…I could have stopped him," she said distantly. Shia placed her hand over her friend's trembling one.

"Don't worry about it Sakura…What's done is done...I'm sure that everything will turn out just fine," she said, truly believing that fact. In her mind it was the truth. If they retrieved Sasuke, then he could be punished accordingly, and Sakura would have him back in her life. If they failed, then it was never meant to be. Eventually, Sakura's love would fade, maybe not disappear, but perhaps she'd find someone who would treat her well.

"Thank you Shia-chan. Oh!" Sakura exclaimed looking at her watch, "it looks about time for you to hit the road."

"Hai, it is about time. Well it was nice seeing you Sakura-chan. I will write to you while I'm in Suna," the brunette said, rising and hugging her friend. They both walked to the door.

"Thank you, I'd like that. You should probably go, your grandmother is probably waiting at the gates for you," Sakura said, smiling. Shia sighed.

"Hai, and we all know how she doesn't tolerate lateness. Besides, I wanted to say goodbye to Naruto-kun before I left," she said. The rosette just nodded and opened the door to show Shia out.

"See ya when you get back," she said, standing in the doorframe as her friend walked out.

"Yeah, and….be strong Sakura…things will get better," Shia said, waving her final goodbye and walking off in the direction of Ichiraku Ramen.

Sunagakure Market Place

"Troublesome woman, you didn't have to knock the brains out of my head. I think you may have bruised my skull," the Nara complained, holding some ice on his head where Temari had bludgeoned him with her fan.

"You deserved it. Sometimes I wonder if there really are any brains in that pineapple head of yours," she answered hotly. He could feel the anger radiating off of her as the walked.

"Maa…of course there are brains in my head you bothersome female…I am not called a genius for nothing eh?" he said. She just growled and started stomping even more fiercely. He kind of felt bad for the sand.

"Genius…tch!" he heard her snap.

Did it really bother her that much when he said things were troublesome? Was it really his fault that the majority of things were? Including her…especially her. The way she always managed to get him with that damned fan. How she berated him in public as loudly as she could. The way she always argued her point no matter how wrong it may be. That cute little pout she got when she was sore for losing. 'Hold it right there Nara…erase that last thought,' he scolded himself. He was knocked out of his thoughts when he crashed into the angered sand nin's back. She spun harshly around to stare down at him.

"You're really testing me Nara.." she said in a dangerous tone. Her green/blue eyes glittered dangerously, but were beautiful in a way that only men who'd died at the hands of the mythic Greek witch Circe could possibly understand.

She was a pretty girl, there was no use denying it...that would be too troublesome. Nara Shikamaru was a genius; he could see beauty no matter how lazy he was. It's just the fact that she was Temari…the most troublesome woman he'd ever met..that made him dread seeing her at times. She was glaring at him angrily as he sat in the dirt thinking. He just stared lazily up at her from the ground. Slowly he got up, and patted the dust off his bottom. Honestly, he did enjoy their playful banter..when it was still playful banter. The blond daughter of the late Kazekage had an explosive, and unpredictable temper. Most of their 'playful banter' ended up in pain…for him.

"I didn't even do anything," he said, casting an uncaring look her way. Her eyes flashed at him frighteningly.

"You never stop complaining. Troublesome village, troublesome waitress…troublesome woman! Nothing's good enough for you!" she shouted, causing people to turn and stare. Her menacing glare, and agitated body language had some people seeking cover, but the Nara seemed to enjoy riling up the second most dangerous of the Sand Siblings.

"Tch…it's not even like that. There you go again. You troublesome women talk to a guy once and make up your mind about them immediately. This is why I will never marry…women just jump to conclusions without even bothering to affirm the truth," he said, with a slight hint of irritation in his normally uncaring voice. Temari's expression switched from angry to shocked within seconds.

"You know, this is too troublesome…I revoke everything that I just said. I just don't care enough to start an argument. Just take me to wherever I'm staying," he said, starting to walk away.

Temari walked in stunned silence, leading her ward to his hotel room.

Ichiraku Ramen

"SHIA-CHAN!" she heard a loud, piercing voice scream. Then came the crushing hug of doom! She swore she felt her ribcage crack.

"Konnichiwa Naruto-kun," she said friendly. He gave her one last bone crushing squeeze, and let go in favor of eating his hot ramen.

"Kon-mmf-ichiwa!" he answered with a mouth full of ramen. Shia laughed.

"I just came to say goodbye. I'll be back in three weeks," she said. His sky blue eyes rose to her face.

"Mmf…nani?" he asked.

"I have to finish my mission," the medic replied. Naruto smiled.

"Do your best Shia-chan!" he encouraged. The brunette girl rose and smiled at him.

"I'll be seeing you Uzumaki Naruto," she said, waving and walking away.

"Goodbye!" she heard him call after her. The young medic walked to Konohagakure's gates, and sure enough, her grandmother was waiting there for her along with her carriage.

"Come on Shia, we're going to be late!" the old woman snapped. Shia nodded, and rushed forward.

"Hai Baasan," she mumbled, getting into the carriage. The gate guards closed the carriage door and let the horses take off. The two females sat in silence for some time.

"Shia, I understand that you are staying at the residence of your patient?" the brunette heard her grandmother's voice ask.

"Hai, Baasan," she answered.

"I will be staying at the hotel. Every morning after you've visited your patient, you are to report to the training fields. I will give you an hour for lunch, and whatever mission related things you must take care of. We will train after your lunch hour until the sun sets, after an hour or so of studying for the medic exam you will be free to rest," her grandmother explained. Shia nodded, and turned to face the window. She watched the scenery roll by, just wanting to be back in Suna to finally start her treatment of the youngest Sand Sibling.

Kazekage Tower

Temari walked into the house looking confused and upset. She practically stormed to her room, slamming the door shut. It was a clear sign, 'don't fuck with me', and Kankurou read the message loud and clear. He didn't dare say a word to her. 'What got shoved up her ass today?' he wondered. The middle Sabaku child walked with two shares of the takeout he'd ordered, into his younger brother's room.

"Brought you dinner Gaara," he said, setting the food in front of the resting redhead. The pale aqua eyes opened, and rested on the container of food, a fleeting look of relief in their depths. Temari hadn't cooked tonight.

"I think there's something wrong with Temari. She seemed really pissed when she came home," the brunette mentioned, breaking his chopsticks apart and starting on his meal.

"Must have something to do with that mission today…" Gaara added, putting a piece of chicken into his mouth. Kankurou sighed.

"Probably, maybe I should go talk to her," he said, feeling a little worried for his older sister. Now, Temari and Kankurou didn't get along, but for a long time they were all each other had. If she was really that upset about something, he naturally felt worried for her.

"No, you'll only start an argument. I think the last person who should talk to her when she's upset is you," Gaara said, which made sense.

"I guess you're right," Kankurou agreed. He was usually the key to her irritation, and to see her agitated by someone that wasn't him made him want to go out and kill said someone. No one messes with his sister except him…period.

The two boys sat in silence for a little while. Kankurou pondered what could have possibly happened on Temari's mission to anger her so much. Gaara worried about his sister, but also thought through bigger decisions in his head. Ever since the nurse had left, he'd been thinking about her question. 'Do you want us to be friends?' She'd given him the choice. It's not like she had said no. Akito Shia was giving him the chance to decide whether they would become friends or not. Whatever he decided, he knew she'd willingly accept. It was a refreshing change for him. Usually people took one look at him, screamed "Ah!…it's Sabaku no Gaara!" and ran away. The young medic, however, was willing to go with his decision.

"Hey shortcake…" he heard his older sister's tired sounding voice say from the doorway. His minty eyes looked up at his pretty blond sister. She looked tired, and there was a hint of irritation in her greenish-blue depths.

"Neesan…" he heard himself say. He knew she liked it when he called her that, and he wanted to see her smile. Gaara didn't like the tired look in her eyes. His greeting did trigger a happy smile to grace his sister's pretty features.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked. He let the new smile he'd finally succeeded in getting to look right grace his face. His sister was more than happy to see it, and moved to give him a tight, warm embrace. When she released him she placed a small kiss on his cheek, and tousled his hair in that way that big sister's do.

"I am feeling better Neesan," he said, she smiled.

"That's good. Shia-chan should be back tomorrow night," she said. He nodded, and picked up his food to begin eating again.

"Temari…." Kankurou's slightly worried voice said from beside her. She turned to look at her other brother.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head to the side and quirking a brow. She chuckled softly.

"Yea, I'm okay. I got stuck with a representative of Konohagakure today, and Kami was he annoying," she said with an exaggerated flail of her hand. Kankurou smiled.

"Ha…I feel bad for the old man," he said, continuing to eat his dinner. 'Not quite,' Temari thought.

"Yea, I had to hit him a couple of times. Hopefully the elders don't find out," she said, and both siblings laughed while Gaara sat back with a small smile on his face. They were a family. Finally after twelve years of pain and fear…they'd become a family….


	11. What did you do to Me?

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: Yay! Double digits!

Chapter 10

It was late, probably midnight, when Shia and her grandmother finally made it to Sunagakure. The old woman gave a quick goodnight before she was escorted to her hotel room, and Shia made her way to the Sabaku residence. She walked silently next to the her Jounin escort. Her thought process revolved around everything she'd have to go over when she went to see Gaara. She had to record the state of his recovery, work out a few kinks in his body before she had him stand and try to walk again. Maybe it was too late for that now. She didn't want him to exhaust himself.

"Shia-san, we have arrived," the ninja guarding her said, jostling her out of her thoughts.

"Arigato," she said quietly, letting herself in and walking up the stairs into the house.

She moved silently, like the trained ninja she was, through the kitchen and into the living room. The TV was on, and there was Kankurou sprawled out on the couch. His mouth was hanging open, tongue lolling out slightly. He was snoring loudly, and obviously he'd forgotten to clean off his face paint because it was smudged all over his face. He'd also forgotten to clean up his mess from dinner, which Shia silently picked up and brought into the kitchen.

She was careful not to clang any dishes as she placed them in the sink, so as not to wake the sleeping boy up. Finally she made her way to her patient's room. On her way she picked up the remote and shut off the television. Laying it on the small coffee table, she quietly made it to Gaara's door. She lifted her fist and rapped softly on the door.

Gaara's room

He heard a soft knock on the door, and his pale eyes flicked over to the clock on the wall. '12:35am' it said. He wondered silently who that could be, but then remembered what day it was. The nurse was returning today, and she had said she'd come check on him. He looked at the closed door, feeling a strange churn in his stomach. He'd made his decision. He wanted a friend, but the thought of actually saying so made him nervous. What if she changed her mind? What if she laughed at him? What if Shukaku killed her? The demon had been threatening lately. He heard the knock again.

"Enter.." he said, watching the knob turn, and the door creek open.

Slowly the tired looking nurse peered into the room, giving him a small smile. She walked in and closed the door with a soft click behind her. She had something in her hand, and a friendly tint in her dark blue eyes. He looked back at her coolly, but somehow the atmosphere felt less glacial than usual to Shia. He seemed less distant. The slight difference in atmosphere threw her off a little, but she ignored it.

"Good evening Gaara-san," she said, grabbing her clipboard, putting the object she'd been holding down, and heading towards him. His aqua eyes moved to the object on the table, and back to her.

"Hn.." he answered, watching her closely as she ran her hand over his leg, pressing down and feeling the healed bones underneath. She nodded and scribbled down notes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, moving her eyes to his. He looked at her, knowing she expected an answer. If he wanted to be her friend, there'd have to be some kind of communication involved.

"Better," he said in his monotone. She smiled.

"That's good. Okay, I'm going to give you a choice. I can test your joints right now, get it out of the way, and have you rest through the night…OR…I can do it tomorrow and have you rest for one more day. The decision is yours," she explained. The redheaded ninja thought on it for a moment.

"Now is fine," he answered. She chuckled.

"You really hate bed rest don't you Gaara-san?" she asked. He 'hn'd', and nodded his head.

"Alright, well I will need you to take off your clothes down to your boxers," she said, placing her professional tone in her voice. He felt his stomach flip. Something made him uncomfortable about being almost nude in front of Shia. He'd never been nude in front of anyone. Was it appropriate to be nude in front of her? Would he embarrass her? He then felt stupid, because she was a medic, and she probably saw nude people all the time. Slowly he began to remove his shirt, pulling it over his head, and trying to fight back an unfamiliar warmth from rising to his face.

The young nurse watched as her redheaded patient pulled his shirt over his head. He had pale skin stretched over defined sinewy muscles. It was smooth and flawless; completely devoid of scars, which was odd since he was a ninja. The muscles in his arms flexed as he pulled the shirt over his head, and his rippling abdomen was damn near perfect. She felt a flush raising to her cheeks and averted her eyes when she saw him go for his pants. She fought the blush down, and waited until she heard his clothes fall to the floor. 'Why is this affecting me like this? I've seen plenty of naked ninja in my line of work. Why should he be any different?' she thought. She pushed the thought out of her mind and ordered him to flip over on his stomach.

Gaara felt her warm palms on the bare flesh of his back, and twitched away from the touch slightly. He felt a comforting pat, and then felt her grasp his shoulders. Her hands rubbed the joint connecting his arms to his shoulders. It felt good, and he felt himself relax just a little. Her talented hands moved up his right arm, massaging the hard muscles, the joint of his elbow, his wrist, and then each of his fingers. After repeating the process on his other arm, she moved her hands down to the juncture between his shoulders and kneaded it firmly, causing a ripple of pleasure to move over his body. He bit back a moan.

No one had ever touched him, let alone in the way she was doing right now. (Maybe she's not as useless as I thought. We could take her right now you know…) the demon said ominously in his mind. He was about to retort when she firmly pressed the base of her hand into the lower middle part of his spine. The ninja relaxed instantly, feeling Shukaku recede into his mind. 'Take her?' he thought briefly.

He felt her talented hands move down his sides, rubbing over his waist, and then grinding her thumbs into the small of his back. The redhead involuntarily arched into the touch, silently cursing his body to hell. Her small hands then moved to his sculpted legs, pressing, and firmly stroking the hard muscles. He had to fight the shivers her warm hands left in their wake. She had him roll over onto his back, and placed her tiny hands at the joint between his pelvis and his leg. She rolled, and massaged, and rubbed him down, causing his body to relax. He felt strange, and like his boxers were a little too tight. After she finished kneading the muscles of his toned abdomen and chiseled chest, she stood back and looked down at him.

Shia's dark blue eyes ran over her patient. He'd relaxed for the most part, and she'd been able to work out the kinks of his joints and muscles. He'd be able to walk much easier now. His minty eyes were staring back at her half covered by his dark lids. There was a tinge of pink on his cheeks, that she barely noticed, and even questioned its existence on his face. She felt her stomach flip over uncomfortably. Something about the way he looked right now had her puberty induced hormones raging in her head. Looking back into his eyes, she saw they were directed downwards. Following them, she heard herself gasp, and could not fight the blush that peeked up on her face.

"Nani?" she heard him say quietly. She giggled nervously. It was actually a very common reaction in teenage boys after being massaged. She was used to this….so why was it so mortifying to her again? Shia composed herself, knowing it was probably more embarrassing for him than her. She was prepared to comfort.

"Gaara-san…" she said, regaining his attention. He looked at her with questions in his eyes.

"What did you do to me? That's never happened before," he said to her. She forced herself into her professional personality. Of course he'd just begun puberty, and didn't have anyone to explain it to him before. She wouldn't go into too much detail, because it would be awkward. That question was for one of his siblings, not Shia.

"Don't worry Gaara-san, that is normal. A lot of guys your age react that way," she said in an assuring voice. He just nodded, and looked down at it again.

"How do I make it stop?" he asked, and her face turned the color of a tomato.

"U..um…It's not for me to explain. Ask your brother," she said in a nervous tone.

When he continued to study it with his eyes she sighed. Could he really be that….innocent? He reached out and poked it, his aqua eyes going wide at the feeling it caused. At this time, Shia decided it was best for her to go. She may be a medic. She may see naked guys all the time. She may see men in this state often, but she was still a twelve year old girl, almost thirteen, who was in that part of life where all of this was both mystifying and embarrassing to her. She could have him walk for her in the morning. As long as he rested tonight, they could go on to the physical therapy in the morning. 'Oh god, don't think physical,' she thought.

"Well…I'm going to go to my room and get some sleep. I've got a big day tomorrow. Rest tonight Gaara-san, I'll be back in the morning," she said, making her way swiftly to the door.

"Why is your face all red?" he asked suddenly, causing her to blush harder.

"No..no reason. Just tired, that's all. Goodnight Gaara-san," she said quickly, turning the knob as she did so.

"Goodnight Akito-san," he said softly, and she closed the door. He pondered her reaction for some time. He turned his pale eyes back on his problem. He needed it to go away. He knew what it was, he just never thought he was capable of doing it. It'd never happened before his thirteenth birthday. It was awkwardly painful.

(The next day)

Akito Shia walked into the room looking perky and happy. Her rested and contented looking patient looked up at her with minty eyes. It struck her strangely to see him looking so….normal. The atmosphere was even less cold than last night, and it confused her. She brushed it off anyway, and cast a friendly smile at him.

Gaara studied his doctor carefully, and after finding no signs that she was upset about what happened last night he relaxed. In fact, she didn't even seem to remember. He saw her smiling face, and her aura leaked amiability. (Kami-sama this woman is a complete idiot! Does she not realize we could kill her right now?) Shukaku laughed darkly in his mind. 'But we won't!' Gaara thought back angrily, forcing the raccoon away. He looked back at Shia, she seemed to be running over a list of plans for today's treatment. 'Now is as good a time as any…' he thought nervously.

"Akito-san…" he said, waiting for her dark eyes to turn on him. She regarded him with interest, and slight confusion.

"Hai Gaara-san…are you hungry? Can I make you something for breakfast?" she asked, smiling.

It was fairly early, about 6:45am, and she didn't have to meet her grandmother till 11:00am. She had time to spare, seeing as the first day was only going to be light physical therapy, and a test walk. There was obvious anxiety in his eyes, which threw her off, because he was usually the most difficult person to read. She was good at reading people, really good being a doctor and all, but Sabaku no Gaara was an enigma. Nothing about him made sense. One minute he was cold and distant. Next he was a confused child. Then he was trying to kill her, but after that seeming completely guilty. So the fact that she could read exactly what he was feeling right now confused her. 'Unless he wants me to see…' she thought.

Gaara stared at the confused girl, allowing his anxiety to show through his normally guarded eyes. Perhaps if he showed a bit of vulnerability, she would be able to relate to him as something more than a monster. Those confused navy eyes stared back at him, with so many questions in their depths. They went through a range of different emotions that were associated with bewilderment. Then, something new washed over them. Realization…she knew he was letting her see..and he felt her interest pique. He had to give it to her, she was a quick study. Most people, his family included, had to have it spelled out for them. Now he just had to ask…that's all….just ask her…..now would be good….it's not that hard! 'So why haven't I asked yet?' he thought to himself. (Oh just ask her already your anxiety is making me crazy!) Shukaku yelled in his mind.

"I am…a piece of fruit will do," he said quietly, averting his eyes to the wall. Shia threw him a confused look, but nodded and walked out of the room. 'Damn!'

Sunagakure Hotel

"You're late…" Temari said simply, turning from the pony tailed boy and starting to walk away. Shikamaru followed silently behind the blond kunoichi who was assigned as his guide. He was leaving tonight, and had just received word from the Hokage that she'd received his report. 'Finally,' he thought. Suna was nice, but the heat was driving him insane, and he missed the forests of Konoha. Though...cloud gazing was much easier without tree branches in the way.

Temari walked quietly, not once looking back at the boy behind her. He really did get under her skin. How dare he make her feel guilty about stating the truth? The way he went around saying everything was troublesome, including herself, made it seem he just thought nothing was good enough. For some reason, the thought of herself not being good enough in his eyes really pissed her off.

"Where are you taking me..troublesome woman," he asked, not really sounding like he cared too much. Temari growled. He did it again.

"You're such a jerk," she said quietly, he almost didn't hear it. Almost... He snorted.

"Why? Because I called you troublesome? I call everything troublesome…so don't think you're some kind of exception just because you don't like it. In fact I believe you just might be the most troublesome thing of all…I'm not about to stop being who I am just because you don't like it," he said quietly, putting his hands behind his head. The blond stared at him in disbelief.

"Whatever….I'm taking you to breakfast okay…" she said, turning back.

"Wow, you're more pushy than I thought. You didn't even ask if you could take me on a date," he chuckled, amused. She smirked at him, rolling her eyes.

"You wish kid. Like I would ever go on a date with someone like you," she said, throwing a half assed glare back at him. He just smiled.

"What, I'm not 'good enough'?" he asked, repeating the accusation she gave him yesterday. She just scoffed.

"Ha…guilt doesn't work on me kid," she said, as she continued leading him to the little breakfast shop.

"I didn't say anything about guilt. Looks like someone has a 'guilty' conscience," he said in a mocking tone. She stayed silent. He had her there. This kid really was a genius, and in more ways than one. How obnoxious?

Kazekage Tower

Gaara had finished his apple, and re-planned his strategy of attack on bringing up the whole friends idea with Shia. (Why don't you just ask her you stupid child?) Shukaku snapped irritated in his mind. The demon was obviously sick of hearing the teen's anxious thoughts at this time, and had threatened a dozen times to seize control and kill Shia.

"Okay Gaara-san, I'll need you to get up and try walking again," she said, pushing the chair and nightstand away to make a path. She placed the chair by the door.

"Just over to that chair and back if you can," she said, leaning against the nightstand prepared to rush to his side should he fall.

Gaara pushed off the bed and slid to his feet. He braced himself for the stiff pain, and when it didn't come, he sighed in relief. Again he thanked Kankurou silently for forcing that disgusting mixture of herbs down his throat as often as possible. Letting his right foot lead, Gaara took a step, feeling a slight soreness in his muscles from being out of use for so long. There was a little bit of tension, and his body was a little unstable. His joints were a little resistant, but for the most part they worked. He made it over to the chair, and back to his bed without too much trouble. He then allowed himself to slump down into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Shia looked up at him.

"Okay, did you feel any stiffness? Was it easier this time?" she asked, her pencil in hand, and clipboard on her lap.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. My joints are a little stiff, and my muscles are kind of sore, but it wasn't as difficult this time," he explained quietly, earning a confused look from the brunette. Obviously she'd expected only a nod. He saw her compose herself, and smile.

"Okay, that's very good. You're recovering faster than I expected. In fact, after today's light therapy, I think it would be okay if we got you doing some easy training. The best way to get you back to normal is to edit your usual training into a therapeutic exercise," she said. He 'hn'd'.

"Did you feel dizzy at all?" she asked, scribbling down her notes swiftly.

"Yes, a little bit, but it passed when I started moving," he answered, surprising even himself. He sure was talking a lot today. He felt the nurse's confidence raise.

"Okay, so I'm going to help you out into the living room, and we'll begin your treatment," she chirped, seeming elated that he'd spoken to her. This was different, the first time she'd reacted like most people reacted when he spoke…with fear..or so he'd thought, or rather jumped to the conclusion.

Shia walked over to him, and helped him to his feet. When the initial dizziness passed, he began to move forward. She had her arm loosely around his waist, and he almost enjoyed the feeling of having someone so close. Most didn't dare come this close to him, but Shia never seemed to care, even if he had tried to kill her twice. She just seemed to want to be near him, to….save him. He reflected on the last thought. 'I want someone to save me…' he thought. It was now or never…

"Akito-san…" he said, looking up at her confused stare.

"What is it?" she asked. 'His eyes are so….sad..' she thought, and this time she knew he didn't realize.

"Do you want to be f.. ?" he asked, having some difficulty getting out the last word in his anxiety. His minty eyes watched her face carefully, looking for any signs of disgust, or hatred. When he found none…he was relieved slightly. She looked confused, and shocked, but also….happy, or at least that was what he hoped he saw. Women could be difficult to read. A few moments passed in silence, and he struggled to keep his nervous breathing normal. He risked another look at her face, waiting for the worst. Waiting for her to run screaming and call him a monster..but it never came.

"I would like that very much Gaara-san," she said, honesty laced in every syllable. Her eyes were flooded with sincerity, and what he thought was happiness. He was not very good at reading people, considering most people only had one emotion upon seeing him…fear. He decided it couldn't hurt to ask her..so he did.

"Are you happy to be my friend?" he asked, not realizing how unsure he sounded. His eyes were guarded again, but she figured it would take time to gain his trust. She didn't know his full story, but he had a demon trapped within him, and if this village was anything like Konoha was with Naruto, she could understand him being so reluctant to trust.

"I am," she said, making sure to sound completely steady even though her mind was racing with happiness. It was silent for a few more moments. Finally they made it to the living room. She pushed the coffee table aside, and had him lay down.

"Well, let's get started shall we Gaara-san?" she said, grabbing his ankle and pushing his leg towards his chest. He felt his muscles stretch; it felt good. He let out a long breath, relaxing, and finally letting reality hit him. He had his first friend, and somehow, he felt a small portion of his heart fill in.

a/n: well, I'm going to end it there….muwahhahahahahahahahahahahaha! Just kidding ppls, but I am ending it here. I've decided how I want the story to go, and thank you Anon, for your blessing of the romance that will eventually unfold between Gaara and Shia. It will happen, but not right away, because we all know Gaara wouldn't just fall in love that fast. It's coming though.

Yes, I am planning a Shika/Temari pairing, but not right away. I'm also planning to do something with Saku/Sasu, and Naru/Hina….so wish me luck…hehe I'll need it.


	12. The Talk

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 11

"Kankurou, what's sex?" the young redheaded shinobi asked. (COUGH! COUGH!) Kankurou choked on his tea, rushing his hand up to his mouth to prevent the liquid from spilling out. He stared incredulously at his younger brother, whose curious aqua eyes were trained on him intently. 'Never thought this would happen?' he thought.

"G..Gaara…um…well…you see…umm…" he tried to get control over his own voice. His mind raced frantically. Never had he thought that this would happen. He was going to have to give Sabaku no Gaara…the talk.

"Well, last night Akito-san came to my room and did a check up. She used something called, massage therapy, to work out some of the stiffness in my body, and afterwards, well…my..it was…hard," he said, looking away. Apparently his brother's embarrassment was affecting him too. He felt that strange heat moving towards his face again.

Kankurou stared down at his little brother. He'd had his first erection, and the brunette would now have to explain things to him. Being only fifteen years old, the idea of giving the talk was a little nerve racking for him. He didn't want to do it wrong. He remembered when Baki-sensei had talked to him about it, it was just as strained and uncomfortable. He wondered how it must've been like with Temari. Why couldn't Gaara ask Baki? Why him? Kankurou looked down at his flushed brother. 'Is Gaara blushing?' he thought to himself.

"What is this heat on my face? It's obnoxious," an irritated, confused, and a little panicked voice erupted from his brother. The puppet master chuckled.

"You're blushing. It happens when you get embarrassed," he explained, earning a confused glare from his brother.

"I'm not embarrassed, you are, and you're making me embarrassed. Just tell me. I want to know what caused, THAT, last night," he said, looking away angrily and pouting unknowingly. Kankurou laughed again, 'Does he know that he pouts when he's upset?' he asked himself.

"Alright…alright. Um..okay, what you experienced last night was called an erection," he began, earning another glare from his brother. The cute pout disappearing in anger.

"I'm not stupid Kankurou, I know what an erection is, and I know the purpose of sex, I just don't know anything in between so fill in the blanks older brother," he ordered in an icy tone. Kankurou sighed.

"Well, okay, you said you didn't know why it happened. Let me explain. Shia is a pretty girl, and you're at that part in your life when you start to go through puberty. You're going to get taller..hopefully," he added jokingly, earning another glare.

"You're going to get plenty more of, THOSE, at random times, and usually when it is completely inconvenient for you. You're voice is going to change, and you're hormones are going to go haywire. I know the academy talked you through most of this so I'm going to skip the whole puberty thing and go straight to the other stuff," Kankurou explained. Gaara nodded, not taking his eyes off his brother.

"Well, the reason THAT happened after Shia massaged you is because it is a natural response to having your body touched so intimately. She's a doctor, so she was probably really good at what she did. It's normal for teenage boys to react the way you did," Kankurou explained.

"She said that," Gaara added. Kankurou nodded.

"Okay, so THAT happens whenever you are aroused. It can happen through touch, sight, and sometimes through sound," the brunette said. Gaara tilted his head in confusion.

"Sound? Sight?" he said. The others made sense, it had already happened to him through touch, and he supposed with this whole puberty thing, if he were to think about being touched like that again, IT, might happen again.

"Sound can be very stimulating. There are certain sounds that a woman makes that are irresistibly arousing," he said, winking at his little brother. The redhead was confused again. 'Huh?' he wondered in his mind. (Oh yes…they can be quite delectable when they're screaming in pain.) Shukaku said lustily in his mind. Gaara cringed and shook it off, somehow knowing that's not what his older brother meant.

"How do you make them make those sounds?" he asked innocently. His elder brother went into another coughing fit. 'Why does he ask these questions when I'm drinking the tea? Can't he wait till I've swallowed my tea?' the brunette thought.

"Well..now I can't spoon feed you everything. Every woman is different, I'll let you figure it out on your own," he said regaining his breath. The redhead frowned slightly.

"So what about sight?" he asked, earning a confused look from the elder.

"Oh..well I thought that'd be the easy one," the puppet master said. The younger shook his head.

"Um..well you see…when you see an attractive woman it could cause THAT to happen. Usually only if you're thinking about it from the beginning, or if she's wearing something revealing. If she's naked it's like rapid fire. THAT will happen almost immediately for you," he explained slowly.

"Um…how would you go about kissing a girl?" Gaara asked, feeling embarrassed that he didn't know. He'd seen it done, but the mechanics behind it were just completely mind boggling to him. He wasn't planning on it, not that any girl would let him, but he did want to know how it worked.

"Well, since there is no girl present, I can't show you," Kankurou said.

"Oh…"

"You could always ask Temari, she could probably describe it to you," Kankurou said.

"Why can't you describe it?" he asked.

"Well, I was never good with words….anyways, let's get this whole sex talk over with so I can breath again," the older of the two said. Gaara nodded and listened as his brother launched into an explanation of the mechanics of sex.

Training Field 1

"Okay Shia, we're going to start your training. As you know our clan has an affinity towards fire, and sometimes wind. For the Chunnin exam you will only have to know how to use one of these. However, in order to become a Jounin you must be able to control two elements," Shia's grandmother explained. The young medic nodded.

"Let's begin with some taijutsu training, but I want you to use the fire in your fists and legs. Put on your gloves," the old woman ordered. Shia nodded and put her black gloves over her hands.

"Those will protect your hands from the flames. Just focus your chakra into the desired attack and make it as hot as you can. This will cause your fists to ignite. Don't worry about hurting me, I'm wearing a clan made flame proof training suit under this," she explained. Shia nodded, feeling relieved that the most damage her grandmother could get was a few broken bones, which she could heal easily. Burns were difficult. The young girl would make sure not to hit anywhere there would be a chance to puncture any organs.

The blue eyed girl flexed her hand, and forced her chakra into her balled fist. She concentrated on making it as hot as she could. As soon as she felt the heat reaching its desired peak, she rushed at her grandmother. She drew back her fist and launched it forward allowing the friction in the wind to help her fist ignite. Her flaming fist came into contact with her grandmother's gloved hand. She immediately forced chakra into her leg and aimed a flaming kick at her grandmother's side.

"Good, very good Shia, but move faster. I can still predict your movements," the old woman said, using her shin to catch the kick. It was strong, and the old woman felt a surge of pride that her granddaughter's attacks required such force to block. The girl disappeared from in front of her, and she felt the heat of a flaming punch heading for her left shoulder. She dodged, barely, and jumped to the side.

"Better, but you're leaving the side opposite your punches open for attack. Make sure you're paying attention to everything. Leave no holes that could be used against you. Also, wait to ignite the fist until just before it hits, this way your opponent won't feel it coming," the old woman ordered. Shia nodded, and came at her again. This time she ignited her left leg and aimed it for the old woman's face, when it was blocked a swift hot fist connected with her shoulder, sending her flying back.

"Very good. I didn't see that one. Okay, keep coming, and don't hold back. Whatever injuries I sustain I can heal," the old woman said, healing her cracked shoulder back in place.

Sunagakure Breakfast Shop

"I'll have a cup of tea, with one spoon of sugar, some eggs, and a bowl of rice," Shikamaru said, looking up from the menu to smile friendly at the girl behind the counter. The young girl blushed slightly, smiling back at him, and turning to an angry looking Temari. The girl swallowed loudly.

"I'll have the usual," she said, shoving the menu in the girl's face and glaring at her. The girl nodded, and rushed away after grabbing Shikamaru's menu.

"You come here a lot?" the Nara asked, turning his brown eyes on her. His normal look of laziness was back on his face, but he was trying to make civil conversation. What exactly had angered her about the server's reaction to him was beyond her.

"Every morning before I go to get my mission for the day," she said, turning her green eyes on him.

"So why are you so mean to the help?" he asked, moving to lean his elbows on the table and his chin on his folded hands.

"That girl irritates me," she said simply, eyes flashing their annoyance.

"Does everyone irritate you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, and quirking a brow at her. Her eyes widened slightly at his interest.

"Well, no…not everyone. Just a lot of people," she said honestly, and he laughed. She glared.

"What's so funny?" she asked hotly, narrowing her eyes at him. He leaned back in the chair sending her a look of amusement.

"Nothing…it's just that you are completely serious about that. So let me rephrase that question…who doesn't irritate you?" he asked, staring at her through lazy chestnut eyes. Temari thought for a moment. She really couldn't think of many.

"Well…Gaara…Shia…and…my mom," she said, her green eyes going soft for a minute in the memory. Shikamaru found her looking quite pretty. Usually her eyes were angry or clouded with irritation. To see that shield of anger removed for even so little a time, made him wonder what kind of life she must have had.

"Well, that's not a lot of people. You're certainly a very irritated person," he said, letting his amusement enter his eyes. He felt a wave of disappointment hit when her eyes turned hard again.

"I am," she said in that smooth voice of hers, "and you're the most irritating person of all," she said, glaring at him. He smiled at her, and she found herself slightly shocked. She'd just called him the most irritating thing in her life, and he was smiling at her.

"We both know that's not true," he said, making kitty ears over his head. She couldn't suppress a smile. 'Kankurou,' she thought.

"I guess you're right, you're annoying, but I can put up with you. You're actually not so bad when it's not too 'troublesome' to carry a conversation," she said, chuckling quietly. He liked it when she smiled, it meant the fan wasn't coming in contact with his head anytime soon.

"Well, you might be the most troublesome woman I've ever met, but you're kind of cool when you're not glaring at me," he said, confirming their new friendship. It was a love hate relationship, but somehow, he didn't feel like he'd want it any other way.

Kazekage Tower

"So you just put it in? What does it look like? What does that feel like? Have you ever done it?" Gaara asked his red faced, utterly uncomfortable, and exasperated brother. Kankurou let his hand slide over his face in frustration. They'd spent the majority of the day talking about sex. Something that Kankurou would never imagine could cross Gaara's mind. He was wrong.

"I can't explain it to you. You'd have to see it for yourself. Um….I haven't done it yet, but Baki-sensei says it feels really good…um…I'll bring you something to look at..or…erm…..," Kankurou stumbled, wanting the conversation to be over. Shukaku's container could see his brother growing more frustrated with the minute, so he decided to ask just one more question, and leave it at that. Over all the puppet master had done a good job explaining the ins and outs of sex.

"Just one more thing, and I promise this is over," Gaara said, Kankurou's weary brown eyes looked up at him.

"Okay, but after this I'm done. I've got a mission anyways," the brunette answered. The younger nodded.

"When Akito-san was massaging me, Shukaku said something that I didn't understand," he started, seeing his brother's eyes grow worried at the mention of the demon.

"What did he say?" the brunette asked.

"He said that I could 'take her' right there," Gaara answered, and fear entered his brother's eyes. Gaara looked down ashamed of himself.

"Don't get upset, I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid for Shia. That means he wanted to do what we just talked about with her," the older explained, seeing relief and then confusion enter his brother's eyes.

"He can't, he's trapped inside of me," the younger said. Kankurou sighed.

"He'll use your body to do it," he said. Gaara's eyes widened.

"Listen Gaara, anytime you are with Shia, make sure you fight Shukaku as best as you can. She'll be very close, and probably use that 'massage therapy' a lot during your treatment. If he does that with her, he'll be rough and uncaring. He'll take her whether she wants him to or not, and no girl should have to go through that. A woman's first time should be with somebody she loves," Kankurou explained.

"Why?" Gaara asked.

"It's important to them. You shouldn't have sex with people that you don't care about. Being as young as you are you shouldn't have sex at all. But if you do, it should be with someone you're in love with. Before you even get to that question…no I can't explain what being in love feels like, because I've never been in love," Kankurou said.

"But I should only have sex if I'm in love with someone," Gaara repeated.

"Hai, that's how it goes. Now when you're older, like in your late teens and into your twenties, you can have a one night stand here or there. But your first time should be with someone you're in love with," the brunette said.

"Okay, I'll be careful around Akito-san. I don't want to hurt her," he said, and received a confused stare.

"You don't want to hurt her?" he repeated. Gaara nodded.

"Friends don't hurt each other," he said, and Kankurou became more confused.

"No, they don't, but when did…."

"She said she wanted to be my friend. That it would make her happy," Gaara explained, and Kankurou smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to see you've finally made a friend," he said. His little brother nodded.

"And I will protect all of you like Uzumaki Naruto protects his special people. Even from Shukaku," Gaara said in his version of a promise to keep the demon at bay. (You can't protect her from me boy. You can't protect any of them from me. Not even yourself.) Shukaku laughed in his mind. He ignored him.

Training Field 1

Shia was squatted down with a kunai in her hand, panting harshly. Sweat matted her chocolate hair to her face, and she was at the end of her chakra limits. She had enough for one more punch, and she had to make it good. Her grandmother was a formidable foe, despite her age, and had proved to be a great trainer. The use of the 'ranran genko' ('flaming fist': all Japanese words are derived from a Japanese-English dictionary.) was simpler than she'd first thought when Kane, her jounin instructor, had tried to train her. She guessed that getting training from the clan who used the power was better.

The young girl gathered her remaining chakra into her clenched fist and raised the temperature until she felt it burst into flames. Rushing forward as fast as her feet could carry her, she drew her fist back far, and made for a full on frontal attack. Her dark eyes saw the twitch of her grandmothers arms, and knew exactly what would happen next. She timed herself accordingly, waiting until the exact second her grandmother's arms moved to catch the punch to maneuver herself behind the old woman, and launch the blazing punch into her back. There was a sick cracking of bones, and the flameproof training suit almost faltered. The Akito elder smiled in pride of her granddaughter's powerful attack.

"Oh no! Baasan! I think I broke…"

"No…ugh…don't worry about it. I told you not to hold back. That was great Shia, you predicted my defense and altered your attack perfectly. Kane has been training your speed well," her grandmother said, smiling through her grimace. Shia tried to calm down.

"Well…you've been here since eleven, and it's about one thirty. You take your lunch break now while I heal this. When you come back we'll do some speed training, and I have some hand seals I have to show you that are important to your Inheritance Test. Learning new hand seals is better when you have no chakra to mess things up," her grandmother explained. Shia nodded and smiled, helping her grandmother over to a seat.

"I'll see you in an hour Baasan," she said turning and walking in the direction of the Sabaku residence.

Gates of Sunagakure

"Well, I had a lovely stay, but I must be getting back to my village. Kami only knows what Tsunade-sama will do to me if I'm late," Shikamaru said with a fake shudder. He walked towards the gates, and handed the guards his discharge papers. The young chunnin turned to his blond friend and smiled.

"Guess I'll see ya when I see ya," he said, folding his hands behind his head. Temari smirked back at him.

"Yea, see ya lazy bum," she said with laughter in her green eyes. A feigned hurt expression graced the lazy nin's features.

"And here I thought we were finally friends," he said with fake sadness. She just laughed. The Nara chuckled softly, turning to leave.

"Goodbye, troublesome woman," he said, throwing a wave behind him.

"Goodbye lazy kid," she answered, turning to walk back to her home.

Kazekage Tower

Gaara smelled something cooking, and whatever it was it smelled delicious. He didn't get out of bed, because he was still unsure about the nurse's feelings on that. Clanging dishes, and running water could be heard from the kitchen. When the noise stopped, he heard quiet footsteps make their way to his door. It opened slowly to reveal the nurse carrying a plate of food. She was wearing a tight, spandex like black outfit with long black sleeves. The legs came down to her ankle, and all together it looked uncomfortable. She had her weapons pouch on, and a pair of black gloves fastened to her belt. She smiled at him, and took the seat next to his bed. The redhead examined the good looking food she had in her hand. He'd already eaten, but she did tell him he needed to eat more.

"Good afternoon Gaara-san, how are you feeling?" she asked, breaking apart her chopsticks and eating her food daintily.

"I feel better. It's easier to move now," he answered in his usual voice, still eying the food. After the talk with his brother, he suddenly found her tight clothing distracting. Quickly he occupied his mind with how good the food looked.

"That's good. I just stopped by to have some lunch," she said. Her hands were bruised a little bit, and her face had small scrapes scattered over it.

"You're injured," he stated, and she looked down at her hands.

"Oh, no, it's nothing," she said, giggling.

"Were you in a fight?" he asked. Her dark blue eyes looked up at him.

"No, just some training with my grandmother. I have to take the next Chunnin Exam, so Hokage-sama had my grandmother come train me while I'm not with you," she explained. He nodded.

"That's a unique choice of clothing," he said, and she laughed.

"Oh, yea, it's different. It's a combat suit made especially for ninja from my clan, by my clan. We are fire users, this material protects us against the flames," she clarified.

"So, why are you here?" he asked, and she threw him a strange look.

"Do you want me to leave?" Shia asked.

"No, but I wanted to know why you didn't spend your lunch with Temari, or your grandmother," he said. She smiled.

"Because I wanted to spend it with you," his eyes widened, "I have lunch with Temari, Kankurou, and my grandmother all the time," she said. He looked skeptical for a moment, but decided not to question for now. They were friends after all. 'Why would she not want to spend time with me?' he thought. Then he listed a few reasons in his head and decided that this friend of his was just crazy, and he was happy for it. Only someone crazy could befriend a monster.

"Akito-san…"

"Hm…?" she said, looking up at him from her lunch.

"Could I have some?" he asked, looking down at the food. She smiled and nodded, pushing the table so that it was in-between them.

"And Gaara-san..please call me Shia," she said, rising to get another pair of chopsticks so they could share. When she returned, he took the utensils from her.

"Shia…call me Gaara," he said, and she nodded. They ate in a comfortable silence, having just moved forward to a more secure friendship.


	13. Sasuke Retrieval

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: well, on to the next chapter.

Chapter 12

'Shia-chan,

Thanks for writing me while you're away. I'm sure you've got so much to do with your training and your mission. I hope writing to me doesn't keep you from anything. Well…I've been okay, I've been visiting Lee-san in the hospital, and guess what! Tsunade-sama was able to heal his injuries. I think she's so amazing. Sasuke-kun still hasn't returned, but I guess I'm not surprised. I knew that the night he left would probably be the last time I saw him for a while. Naruto has promised me that he'll bring Sasuke-kun back, and I have faith in him. It seems that Naruto almost never breaks a promise to a friend.

Lee-san is much better now, and I'm happy for it. He's a really good friend. He's been asking me out for a while now, but I don't want to give him false hope while I'm still in love with someone else. I think he knows that, but I know he wants to make me feel better. What do you think I should do? I hope you're doing well in Sunagakure. I hope your hosts are treating you well. When you get back you'd better be stronger, because I know you can do it! Well, I hope to hear from you soon, and I can't wait till you return to Konoha in a week and a half.

Your friend, Haruno Sakura'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Shia smiled as she folded the letter and maneuvered her key into the Sabaku house lock from behind her groceries. It was about 7:00am, and she was going to be making breakfast this morning. Opening and shutting the door, the young medic made her way up the stairs. She could hear the low hum of voices from in the living room, so she figured everyone must be up.

"Just bring enough for a couple of days Kankurou. Kami-sama! Do I have to walk you through everything?" Temari's frustrated voice asked.

"Fine…fine, just go away and pack your own things. Why don't you go see how Gaara is doing?" the equally exasperated puppet master answered.

"Because Gaara doesn't need me to pack his bags for him! HE'S not retarded!" the blond shouted. Kankurou growled loudly, and Shia made her way into the kitchen before they could start throwing punches. The young brunette started putting groceries away.

"YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE!" she heard Kankurou's voice scream.

"Well YOU'RE AN IDIOT!" Temari's voice screamed back. There was some loud stomping, and then a door slammed loudly, reverberating through the house. Shia couldn't hold back a giggle. They really were quite entertaining. After all the groceries were safely in the pantry, she walked out into the living room. There was Kankurou sitting cross-legged on the rug, and packing a bag.

"Morning Shia," he grumbled, looking up at her with irritated brown eyes. She smiled at him.

"Good morning Kankurou, is Gaara in his room then?" she asked, receiving a confused look. 'When did Gaara-san become Gaara? In fact, she's been calling him Gaara for the past week and a half. Why doesn't anyone tell me anything anymore?' he thought, nodding, and watching the young medic walk to her patient's room.

Gaara's Room

Gaara heard a soft rap on his door and immediately knew who it was. He felt his lips twitch in a smile, but forced it down. He liked his friend Shia, but for some reason he just wasn't comfortable letting down all his barriers just yet. Even so, it made him feel good that she didn't shun him just because he didn't exactly know how to be someone's friend. He was trying.

"Gaara, um….why are you packing?" she asked from behind him. He turned to face a wide eyed, confused looking nurse.

"I've got a mission," he said simply, throwing some more clothes into his bag. Shia's eyes widened, and worry flooded their depths.

"You…you can't," she said, her dark eyes locking with his. Gaara could see all the concern pouring out, and he felt a sharp pang in his heart. 'I really wish she wouldn't look at me like that,' he thought. (If we kill her she won't be able to ever again.) Shukaku suggested. Gaara ignored him.

"I have to go," he said, not looking away from her. Those dark eyes narrowed.

"What kind of mission?" she asked suspiciously. He let himself sit on the bed.

"My siblings and I have been ordered as backup in the Uchiha's retrieval mission," he explained. Shia felt concern bubble in her stomach along with a strong sense of anxiety.

"No…absolutely not. As your doctor I can not allow you to fight in your condition. You haven't fought in a long time, you could re-injure something," she said, sending him an angry, yet worried look. He knew she was just trying to look out for him. He knew that she was probably right, but he had to go. He owed Konoha a great debt, and if he could help Naruto Uzumaki in any way, it would make him feel that much better.

"I have to do this Shia," Gaara said with determination in his jade eyes. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"You'll get hurt…I..you might have to fight someone really strong," she said, her voice quivering slightly. The redhead moved closer but did not touch her. Her blue eyes peered up at him through worried tears.

"You've done a fine job of taking care of me. I don't feel stiff at all, and my strength has returned to me. You said yourself that this last week was just going to be observing me train with my brother just to make sure everything is fine. If I have to fight, the sand will protect me, you don't have to worry," he said, feeling the need to console her. He didn't want to see her cry, something about seeing the girls in his life cry made him extremely uncomfortable.

"B..bu.t….I..I," she stuttered. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"You stay here and train with your grandmother. I don't know how long this mission is going to take, but the council said that you are to stay here and wait to finish the mission upon my return," he explained. She nodded, and brought her hand up to lay on his shoulder.

"I…trust you," she said, making sure to look him in the eyes as she did. He nodded.

"Arigato," he said quietly, turning back to pack. 'She trusts me. I don't know why, but it makes me happy to hear someone say that,' he thought. He let himself feel the happiness for a few moments, liking how the emotion warmed his pained heart. Then quickly buried it, in fear that the feeling may never happen again. He heard her draw in a long shaky breath.

"I'll go make you guys breakfast before you go," she said. He 'hn'd', then heard the door open and shut.

Gates of Sunagakure (a half hour later)

The Sand Siblings stood at the gates of their village ready to set off and back up their new allies. Shia had walked with them to see them off. Worry contorted her innards into writhing snakes inside of her. 'What if he gets hurt? What if they all get hurt? I can't stand to see them hurt. Oh….I don't know what I'll do if he injures himself too bad,' she thought frantically.

"Shia…" she heard Gaara's cool monotone say. She turned her dark eyes on him, anxiety written in their depths. Temari smiled at the girl

"Don't worry about him Shia-chan. Gaara's a big boy. He can take care of himself," the blond assured her. Shia smiled weakly at them. Another pang hit the redhead's heart. He couldn't understand why it was so hard to see her look so worried for him.

"Yea, Shia…have some faith," Kankurou laughed. Shia snapped her navy gaze over to him with an apologetic look.

"No…I..of course I have faith in him!" she exclaimed, making Gaara's eyes widen in surprise, "I have faith in all of you." She smiled warmly at them all.

"Good, then…no worries," Temari said, grabbing the girl in a hug. Shia hugged her friend back tightly, and then it was Kankurou's turn. Both girls gave him a stern look of warning to which he just smiled and rose his hands in the air.

"I won't do anything funny," he promised, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her in a bear hug. Her blue eyes widened and she gasped.

"Can't…breath," she managed. He cackled and let go.

"I'm sorry, hehe, guess I don't know my own strength," he said smiling. Shia caught her breath.

"It's okay…jeez you're almost as bad as Naruto," she muttered, gaining Gaara's attention.

"Oh…you mean that little blond brat?" Temari asked, Shia nodded.

"Though he does manage to crack my rib cadge every time he hugs me, I guess I can't complain, we're friends after all," the young medic said sighing. The two older Sabakus shared a laugh, while Gaara managed an amused smirk in front of his doctor.

"Well, we'll be off then," Temari said, her and Kankurou both turning to leave. Shia smiled back at them.

"Do your best!" she called from behind them. She watched their retreating backs. Temari and Kankurou both threw waves behind them, and Gaara just rose his hand. They were just outside of the gates when they heard the sound of feet pounding into the ground.

"Gaara!" the nurses voice called out. He'd barely turned when he felt something warm collide with, and latch onto him. His wide eyes fell to the person clinging to his waist, seeing a mass of chocolate hair dancing lightly in the dry desert wind. Shia squeezed him tight, and he felt at a loss of what to do.

"Sh..Shia…"

"Be safe…" she murmured into his chest, and he felt his heart thump hard against his ribs. What should he do? Should he return the gesture? (She's touching you! She's breaching your personal space! Kill her! KILL HER!)

"SHUT UP!" he cried, causing the girl to look up at him in surprise. Her wide blue eyes sent him an apologetic look, but she did not let go. He shook his head.

"I..I wasn't talking to you," he assured her, and she smiled. Burying her face into his shoulder she gave him one last squeeze, and then stepped back.

"I'm sorry, but…..I…just wanted to tell you to be careful. I should've asked before I hugged you like that. I know you don't like to be touched," she apologized. He regarded her for a moment. Again she was apologizing for something that wasn't her fault. 'It's not that I don't like to be touched. It's just that I'm afraid to…' he thought.

"I'm not angry with you," he told her, missing the warmth of her hug already. He wouldn't dare to reach out to her again. Especially with what Shukaku had been screaming. He kind of wished she'd do it again, but now he'd gone and made her think he didn't want her to touch him. Temari and Kankurou exchanged confused, worried glances behind him.

"Okay," she said, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze, "Be careful," she added, turning to walk back through the gates.

"I will," he said quietly, but he knew she hadn't heard. He turned and followed his siblings into the desert. He was determined to pay his debt to Konoha….to Naruto.

(A week later)

Gaara followed his siblings into their house. It had been about a week since they'd left, and it was quite early in the morning when they returned. All three attempted to be as quite as they could just in case Shia was still asleep. The young redhead and his older siblings had backed up Konoha with all their might, but in the end, the Uchiha was not recovered. He knew it must be eating away at Naruto right now to have failed at rescuing his friend. Gaara couldn't imagine the thought of losing a friend like that. Well, actually, he could. He was no stranger to betrayal, but still, to have a friend walk out on you for something as stupid as power…it must be painful.

The redhead walked into his room and tossed his bag onto the floor. He walked over to the window and opened it, letting the cool pre-sunrise air filter into the stuffy room. He thought back to his fight with Kimimaro. He'd learned something from it, despite how difficult and utterly painful the fight had been. He'd learned that, no matter what kind of person you are, there is someone who loves you.

Orochimaru had to be the most despicable piece of garbage on this green earth, and yet, Kimimaro loved him so much, he was prepared to die for him. He fought for the person that was precious to him, even though he was sick, and even though he knew he'd die soon. It didn't matter to Kimimaro if Orochimaru was evil..to him…he was a savior. It gave Gaara some hope, maybe one day, he'd find someone like that. Someone who knows about his past, and the terrible power that lies within him, but still wants to be there for him anyway. Someone who could see past the beast within him, and love him as he truly is.

He heard a shuffle from the bed, and spun quickly around to see what it was. There was a pile of shiny brunette hair framing the sleeping face of his doctor. He moved closer, quietly so that she wouldn't wake. 'But what's she doing in here?' he asked himself. Her face was relaxed into a contented smile, and his blankets were snuggled around her comfortably. She looked so peaceful, he wondered what it must be like…to sleep. He'd never slept a day in his life, in fear the demon inside him would take over and kill everything.

Her nose scrunched up as a lock of hair brushed against it. She whimpered irritated, and moved her head, trying to make it stop. Gaara almost reached out and tucked it behind her ear, but he restrained himself. What if she woke up? What if she didn't want him to touch her? It's true that they were now friends, but he felt he didn't have the right to go touching her whenever he felt like it. What if she woke up afraid that he was there? He decided it was best that he leave. Walking to the door he turned the knob slowly, and pushed the door open.

"Gaara..?" he heard a sleepy voice say from behind him. He turned around to see the nurse rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The dark orbs flicked over to the clock, '5:00am', and then back to him. He said nothing, and he did not move. He just stared back into her foggy tired eyes. Then suddenly she was in front of him. 'When did she get so fast?' he thought, looking down at the girl who was currently eying him with concern.

"When did you get back? Are you injured? Are Temari and Kankurou okay? Are you tired? I'm sorry I was in here. See, I was cleaning the house while you three were gone, and I guess I fell asleep in here. I didn't mean to intrude in your personal space, but I guess I was just tired from training and I fell asleep. I hope you're not mad at me. Please don't be ma…."

"Shh…" he said, placing a finger against her lips. Her eyes widened at the gesture, and he had to admit he was shocked himself. It had to be the most gentle thing he'd ever done. The young redheaded shinobi allowed a small flicker of triumph to course his system at his small accomplishment. To be so gentle with someone was a huge deal for him, but he stamped out the feeling quickly so as not to jinx himself. Her wide eyes stared into his, and she looked extremely confused.

"I'm not angry with you," he stated in his usual tone, lifting his finger from her soft lips. She didn't say anything, and he wondered if he'd done something wrong. His eyes moved to the floor, and he slumped slightly. 'Is she scared?' he thought. (Of course she is! And she damn well should be! Let's kill her now, while we're so close. She seems so trusting. Stupid girl!) Shukaku said in his mind. Gaara pushed the raccoon away. Upon seeing the change in his body language Shia knew she'd made him upset. 'Oh no! Maybe he thinks I'm afraid of him again,' she thought. Surely enough, he spoke to confirm her thoughts.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," he said softly, feeling bad that he'd scared his first friend. He dared to look at her, only to find her smiling softly at him. Her hand came to rest on his chest, and gripped the cloth of his shirt lightly.

"No, don't apologize. I'm sorry I made you think I was afraid. I'm not scared of you Gaara," she said, looking into his aqua eyes with honesty,

"It's just that…you've never willingly touched me is all."

Gaara's light eyes were stuck on the hand that was putting a comfortable pressure on his chest. She was touching him again, and though Shukaku was raging in his mind, he didn't want to push her away. Never had anyone outside of his family been so bold as to touch him. His family hadn't even done so until recently. She wasn't afraid. His mind wandered to her statement.

"If you don't want me to touch you…" he started, but a soft hand was placed against his mouth. His aqua eyes darted to the girl in front of him.

"It's okay…I don't mind," she said softly, that friendly smile lighting her face again, "We're friends after all."

Gaara had the urge to do something…to hug her he thought…but he didn't want to startle her. Though she had just said that she didn't mind him touching her. He was still afraid of rejection. He was still afraid that this was all just an elaborate lie to gain his trust. And even though he couldn't see that coming from her…even though she didn't seem like that kind of person…he'd thought the same thing about Yashamaru. Her hand left his mouth to join the other on his chest.

Shia was trying to coax him into a hug, but he didn't seem to be getting the hint. She wanted to show him that it was okay for him to initiate physical contact between them. She wanted to show him she considered him just like all her other friends, and that he could hug her whenever he pleased. She wanted to, but he was so used to people being afraid of him, that he just couldn't imagine someone actually wanting to hold him. Knowing that fact made her want to squeeze him half to death and shout to the whole world how much she loved his friendship.

Shia felt her eyelids growing heavy once again. In their absence, she'd been training with her grandmother from the early morning into the night. She was exhausted to say the least, and she felt sleep winning the battle against her. Her hands clutched the material of her redheaded friend's shirt tightly, and she felt herself fall forward.

"You should go back to sleep," he said, pushing her up, and helping her towards the bed.

"Oh…no, I should really yawn do a check up, and I've got to tell my grandmother you've returned, and….yawn and…," he pushed her down, and pulled the sheet up over her shoulders.

"I'm fine, and I highly doubt you grandmother will be awake at this hour. You sleep, I'll wake you a little later," he said, watching her dark blue eyes disappear behind full dark lashes. She smiled at him with closed eyes.

"Okay…" she sighed out, relaxing into the bed. He could see sleep overtaking her, even though she was attempting to fight it. When he was sure she was asleep, he walked out into the living room to sit next to his brother on the couch.

(12:00pm)

Gaara walked back into his room to see the nurse up and apparently fresh from the shower. She was wrapped in a towel and frantically searching around the room for the clothes she'd left there. She dropped to her knees on the floor, and leaned under the bed to look. Aqua eyes traveled over her damp, pink skin to the hem of the towel which was rising up higher and higher on her bare legs.

The fluffy white towel moved higher and higher, exposing even more of her lean, shapely legs. He found he couldn't take his eyes away. 'I blame Kankurou for this,' he thought to himself angrily. She leaned over further, and he tore his eyes away. If he looked now, he'd see something he probably shouldn't. He cleared his throat loudly, causing the girl to hit her head on the underneath of the bed. She looked up at him, rubbing her head, and then her eyes snapped open wide.

"Gaara!" she gasped, her face going as red as his hair. She hugged the towel close to her nude form, and stared at him agape. His eyes averted from her face to stare straight out the window.

"I…didn't see anything," his voice said softly. Shia calmed herself, and pushed her body off the floor to sit on the bed. She risked a glance at Gaara, who was still set on not looking at her.

"It's okay…I'm not angry," she said, standing and walking over to him. He visibly stiffened when she laid her hand on his forearm. She looked up at him, hoping she hadn't made him angry. His aqua eyes still refused to look at her, and his posture was stiff. 'I'm making him uncomfortable,' she thought, taking her hand off of him.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…I should have remembered you don't like it when I touch you," she said with a smile. Then he did look at her. One of his pale hands lifted from his side, and he almost let it fall to her shoulder, but he couldn't. Here she was, nude, in his room, standing so close, and Shukaku was yelling all sorts of perverse things in his head. He couldn't touch her; it wasn't safe…so he opted to let his hand fall back, inadvertently swiping his fingers against the warm damp flesh of her arm. She shivered a little.

"It's not that I don't like to be touched. I enjoy it when Temari hugs me, and I liked it when you did, but you're….you're not wearing anything," he said quickly, fighting that obnoxious heat on his face again. When he was sure it was gone, Gaara looked down at his nurse who was smiling at him.

"I'm….glad you like it when I hug you. All this time I though I was just being annoying," she said, giggling a little. He shook his head.

"No, I…I can't explain it to you right now. It's hardly a conversation for me to be having with you while you are standing in a bath towel, but one day, I'll tell you why I make it seem like I don't like to be touched," he explained, moving away from the door. He took a few steps into the room.

"You should go get dressed," he said, standing by the window and watching the lunch rush go by. He heard a few steps and then felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. She was hugging him again, but the fact that she was in only a towel caused him to freeze up. His face was on fire, and he tried not to look at her so she wouldn't see.

"Shia…"

"Oh, right…sorry..hehe. I'll be back later, after my training," she said, releasing him, and walking towards the door.

"Could I come with you?" he heard himself ask. She gasped in the open doorway.

"Well, yea..I'm sure that won't be a problem," she said, "I'll be back for you in a few." He 'hn'd', and she left to dress.

Sunagakure Breakfast Shop

"Temari, what's on your mind? You seem distant lately," Kankurou asked, watching his sister fiddle with her breakfast.

"I'm okay, I've just been thinking is all," she said quietly.

Ever since they returned from Konoha, the blond Sand Sibling had been acting strange. He'd seen her little moment with the Nara boy when they were leaving. The smile she gave him…he hadn't seen her smile like that since before mother died. 'Does this have something to do with him? What's going on? People really don't tell me anything anymore,' he thought sadly.

"Is it that Nara?" he asked, a little peeved that she was lying to him. Her green-blue eyes looked up at him dancing with angry flames.

"Don't be ridiculous you baka! Why don't you go home and play with your dolls?" she snapped coldly, turning her face away so he wouldn't see the light blush on her features. He sighed heavily and continued to eat his food.

"I wonder what Gaara's up to," he thought out loud. Temari glanced at her younger brother.

"Well, I guess it's safe to say he's probably with Shia-chan right now," she said. Kankurou looked at his watch.

"Nah, she's training right now. You know, I think I wanna take a peek in on that. I've never actually seen her fight before. I wonder if she's any good," he said. Temari laughed.

"Well, I guess we could stop by for a visit. Training Field 1 I believe, is where she said her and her grandmother were," the blond explained.

"Right, then we'll stop by at like three so she's all warmed up, and too busy to notice we're there," Kankurou suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Temari said, finishing her breakfast and searching herself for some money. Upon finding none, she threw a sweet smile at her little brother.

"Well, um….Gotta run!" she said, taking off down the street to the Kazekage building, and effectively sticking Kankurou with the bill. He pouted and placed the money on the table. He then stood, and grumbled his way to Kazekage Tower. 'Temari always sticking me with the bill. You'll pay big sister, you'll pay.'

Training Field 1

Shia flew at her grandmother so fast it was almost impossible to see. Her fist ignited and made forceful contact with the old woman's arm. The young girl then whipped her body around, sending a flaming kick at her grandmother's head. The old woman dodged however, and sent a flaming punch towards the younger girl's stomach. Shia was quicker though, and she flipped away to crouch just ten feet back. Gaara sat in silence watching his friend train. She was graceful, and strong. He didn't think she could fight so well, but then again, he'd never really asked any medical-nin if they could fight before. He'd never cared. She made some unfamiliar handsigns and he could feel her chakra pooling into her hands.

"HOIPPU NO KAJI!(Whip of fire)" Shia shouted, flames shooting from her finger tips in the shape of a whip. As fast as she summoned it, it was wrapped around her grandmother's body, and throwing the old woman some feet away. The Akito elder smacked into the wall hard, and fell to the ground. Shia's eyes widened, and she rushed over, relinquishing the fire whip.

"I'm okay Shia, I'm fine..it's about time for a lunch break any way. You have an hour while I heal my injuries. I'll see you after," her grandmother said, waving her wrinkled hand to shoo the girl. Shia reluctantly left her stubborn grandma to walk over to Gaara. She looked a little frazzled, but plopped down next to him nonetheless.

"I think I went a little too hard on her," she mumbled, taking her towel and wiping the sweat from her brow. Her tight spandex-like fighting suit clung to her like a second skin. She turned her dark blue eyes on him.

"I'm hungry what about you?" she asked smiling. He 'hn'd', and they both got up to start walking towards the house.

"I think I need a shower," she stated, trying to pry at the cloth that was sticking to her. He nodded his agreement, and they both walked into the Sabaku residence for her lunch break.


	14. Spilt Groceries and Dinner Time!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: Chapter 13 here it goes!  
"talking"  
'thinking'  
(Shukaku)  
Kyuubi

Chapter 13

Naruto Uzumaki walked through the streets of Konoha towards his favorite place in the whole village. Ichiraku Ramen. It was breakfast time, and he couldn't think of a better start to his morning than a bowl of pork ramen. 'Mmmm…ramen..' the thirteen year old thought to himself.

"Oh no!" he heard a soft feminine voice cry. He looked up to see Hyuuga Hinata with wide pearly eyes, and a red hue to her face. She was staring down at what looked like a spilt bag of groceries. Naruto rushed over to help.

"Hinata-chan!" he exclaimed, watching as her pale eyes turned on him. Her face got even redder, if possible, and she started shaking her head frantically.

"No…N…Naruto-kun…y…you don't h..have to.."

"Don't be ridiculous Hinata-chan. Of course I'll help you," he interrupted, kneeling down to pick up the groceries that had fallen to the ground.

He looked up into her big opal like eyes, and smiled his 3000 watt smile. She fainted, and he quickly caught her before she fell to the ground. 'Why does she always do this?' he thought thickly. Naruto held her petite body in his arms, and stared down at her unconscious face. 'She's such a nice girl. She's so caring, and she's always been really sweet to me. She's strong, I remember the Chunnin exam. So why is it that she's just so shy? It seems like she has no worth in herself,' he thought, watching her lashes flutter to reveal her milky eyes. Her face turned red again, and she looked towards the ground.

"Hinata-chan, you should be more careful. Are you sick? Maybe I should take you home before you faint again," he offered, helping her stand. She smiled and shook her head sending her short midnight locks flying around her face.

"D..don't b..be silly…Naruto-kun…I..I can manage," she stuttered quietly. The blond ignored her though, placing the groceries she'd dropped into the bag, and picking it up. He turned to smile at her.

"Um….Hinata-chan?" he said, scratching the back of his head and blushing a little.

"Y..yes?" she asked.

"Hehe…I don't know where your house is," he said, looking up at her with sky blue eyes. The Hyuuga Heiress felt her heart rap hard against her chest.

"I'll show you," she murmured, looking at the ground and walking ahead of him.

"Hinata?" she heard. She stopped walking. There was the sound of light footsteps getting closer, and then a hand dropped to her shoulder. She dared to turn around, only to find herself staring into a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. Her heart thumped rapidly against her rib cadge.

"Wh…what is it?" she asked, feeling the warmth radiating off of his body. 'He's so close,' she thought, her face turning red. He smiled at her. A really warm, friendly smile.

"You should always hold your head up high Hinata-chan. You should be proud of who you are. You one of the best people I know," he said. She swallowed hard, feeling tears burning in her eyes. She'd always wanted someone to say that to her. Her father and Neji had always told her she was worthless. Her father said that her little sister was stronger than her. She'd even venture to say that Hyuuga Hiashi wished that Neji had been born his son, instead of having her for a daughter.

"A..arigato," she whispered, smiling shyly at him.

She'd loved Naruto ever since their academy days, though she'd never tell him. Not now at least. He had so much to worry about, what with Sasuke going AWOL and Sakura being completely torn apart. He just had too much on his plate, and she didn't want to make his life any harder. What if he didn't like her back? Then he'd be killing himself over making her feel bad. And she knew he would..because that's just the kind of person that Naruto was. He'd never hurt one of his friends if he could help it.

"Well, come on. Let's get you home," he said, a smile lighting his whiskered face. 'How is it possible for someone to be so beautiful inside and out?' Hinata thought to herself, as she resumed leading them to her home.

Haruno Residence

'Sakura,

I'm doing well here in Sunagakure. My hosts have been nothing but wonderful to me, and I've made a new friend. I hope you can meet him soon. He's shy, and it's hard for him to trust, but I like him. He says he's met you before, but it wasn't on the best of terms. I'll convince him to come see you one day though, so don't worry. How's Naruto doing? I would send him mail, but I'm afraid that he could be tracked if it should ever fall into enemy hands. With Akatsuki after him, I thought it best to communicate through you.

As for the Lee situation. I think you should go for it. He knows you love Sasuke, and he knows that you're upset about the Uchiha's defection. I think that because he cares about you so much, he wants to make you feel better. I think going on a date with him would be fun, and who knows, you might find that you like him more than you think. He's a really great guy.

Well, I hope you are well, and I should be home in about five days. I can't wait to see everyone. You and I really have to get on that whole Naruto and Hinata thing. Is he really that thick? Haha, never mind…of course he is. Well, see you soon. Stay safe.

Your Friend, Akito Shia'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Sakura looked the letter over one more time. Shia thought she should accept Lee's offer. She didn't want to lead him on though. What if he thought she really liked him that way? Then again, she'd never know if they could be anything but friends if she didn't give him a chance. But…she loved Sasuke. She loved Sasuke more than anything, and she wanted to wait for him. Thinking of Sasuke hurt, remembering the last time she'd seen him. The way he'd thanked her…and for what. What was he thanking her for? For being annoying? For being his friend? Or maybe….for loving him. She didn't know, but it hurt so much to think about it. 'Maybe I will give Lee-san a call. It couldn't hurt,' she thought.

Hyuuga Estate

Hinata and Naruto put away the groceries together; the raven haired girl blushed the whole time of course. After everything was away, they sat down opposite of each other at the table. Naruto turned his bright blue eyes on the Hyuuga Heiress. She was such a nice girl. Always good to him. She never looked at him the way the other villagers did, not ever that he could remember. That is why he considered her such a precious friend. He wondered why she didn't see the good qualities in herself. She acted like she didn't know what a good friend she was to him.

"N..Naruto-kun…are..you hungry?" she asked quietly, avoiding his eyes and blushing. He tilted his head to the side, and smiled.

"Hinata-chan, why do you always look away from me when you talk to me. If it's because I told Neji that his eyes were weird, I'm sorry. I just said that to tick him off, he's more fun when he's angry," Naruto explained. She laughed quietly, but still didn't look at him.

"You don't have to hide your face you know. Do you think you're ugly or something? Because you're not. You shouldn't be ashamed of your eyes, they're different, but I like them," Naruto chirped, smiling that happy grin. Her pearly eyes looked up at him, and the raw sadness within them made the blonde's heart thump hard against his chest. 'What could have happened to Hinata-chan to give her eyes like that?' he thought to himself.

"I..I'm sorry Naruto-kun. It's…it's…just the way I was raised," she said, but he didn't get it.

"I don't understand," the blue eyed boy said, confusion coloring his words. Hinata let herself look into those almost endless blue eyes, how she loved him.

"Well, you see…in m..my family…I usually have to s..stay quiet unless I am spoken to. As a woman I..I am trained to be the invisible wife who cooks, cleans, and t..takes care of her husband without a word. As a…a sign of respect, the women in my clan don't u..usually look directly into the eyes of a man. A..As the Heiress of the clan, I am taught to be the epitome of Hyuuga femininity. It's tradition, th…that's what I've been taught, so that is how I am," she explained slowly.

"That doesn't make any sense…"

"I d…don't expect you to understand Naruto-kun. M..Most people don't," she said.

"No, I understand the whole tradition part, but why would your husband want you to be invisible? Why would someone want to marry somebody who didn't talk to them…who didn't have their own mind? I don't think you should let people make you like that. You have a good mind Hinata-chan, and you shouldn't let people make you think that you should be silent all the time. I think you should talk all the time, you've got such a kind voice," Naruto said, his blue eyes softening. Hinata gasped, but forced herself not to look away.

He was right. She was the heir to the clan. She would be head of the family in her father's death, or retirement and when she was, there'd be some changes. First, she'd have to get much stronger. She'd have to be stronger than Neji even. It would be hard work, but she had great friends that could help her out. Then, she'd have to become more confident. Before she could take over the clan, she'd have to be both physically and mentally strong enough to do so. The heiress looked back to the blond she'd been in love with since she was eight years old. How was it that every time she talked to him…he changed her life a little bit? He made her that much more determined. He made her that much stronger. If only she could have that forever…if only he knew how much….

"N..Naruto-kun, I'll do my best to become more c-confident. It's s..something I've always wanted, ever since I met you," she blurted, his sky blue eyes widened in shock, but he smiled nonetheless. He threw his hand out to grasp her wrist and give it a firm squeeze. She blushed darkly.

"That's the spirit Hinata-chan!" he exclaimed loudly, staring at her reddened face. She had the kindest little smile on her pretty face, and her eyes were wide with admiration. Her soft little fingers wrapped around his hand, squeezing back lightly, and he felt some heat make its way to his face.

"Naruto-kun….w..will you help me?" she asked, her opal eyes staring at him with such affection, he felt his heart speed up in his chest. 'She's so nice to me. Why does she look at me like that? Nobody looks at me like that,' he thought.

Why did I get stuck inside such a thick headed little brat? I don't understand. Kyuubi wined in his head. Naruto let his fingers close over hers, and held her warm hand in his for a moment.

"Of course I will. I promise Hinata-chan, I will help you become more confident," the blond hair boy declared. Tears fell from those piercing eyes, and he felt himself rush over to her side.

"Don't cry Hinata-chan. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry. Please stop crying," he said frantically, grabbing a napkin and trying to dab her tears away. She brought her pale hand up to cup the tan one dabbing her cheek, and he looked into her eyes again. Such gratitude poured from her.

"It's not your fault. I..I'm just happy. H..happy that someone w..wants to h..help me," she said, willing herself to calm down. He smiled down at her, still wiping her face with the napkin.

"You're a good person Hinata-chan," he said, sitting in the chair next to her. Her heart thudded hard, and she let her hand fall from his. She rose from her chair and turned away. Naruto tilted his head in confusion. Had he made her angry?

"F..forgive m..me. W..what kind of h..hostess am I b..being? C..can I get you something to eat?" she asked, turning back with a smile. He chuckled.

"You don't have to apologize you know. Don't beat yourself up because you didn't feed me. But..yes I would like something if you wouldn't mind," he said. She smiled and turned back to the pantry, rummaging through until she found her prize. Ramen….instant ramen she'd bought with him in mind, though she'd never imagine he'd be sitting in her kitchen waiting to eat it.

"You d..don't mind some instant r..ramen do you?" she asked, his blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"No! I love instant ramen!" he cried, causing her to giggle.

"Hinata-chan, you're too good to me!" he exclaimed, getting up and glomping her. She gasped feeling his strong arms squeeze her affectionately. The Hyuuga Heiress felt her face get hot. 'Naruto-kun….he…he's…hugging me!' she exclaimed in her mind. But…she let herself enjoy it, leaning into the hug.

"Nothing is too good for you N..Naruto-kun," she said, his name coming out as a whisper. He gasped in her ear, and surprise radiated off of him in waves. She felt his arms tighten around her, and his face bury in her back.

"Arigato Hinata-chan…you're so good to me," he said quietly, and Hinata spared a look only to meet with happy blue eyes. Seeing such happiness swirl in their depths made her heart clench. 'If only he could always have that look in his eyes. I'm going to help you too Naruto-kun. It'll be my first step into becoming a stronger person. I'm going to try to make you happy,' she thought determinedly.

"I'll get this ramen going then," she said softly, and his arms slackened around her. He nodded, and moved back to his seat at the table. He watched her go about preparing their lunch, and an emotion he couldn't place swept through his body. 'She'll make a great wife one day, and I'm not gonna let her family make her think she has to be an obedient slave,' he thought as he continued to watch her. Hinata was the only person, besides Iruka-sensei, who'd never acted badly towards him. Ever since he could remember, she'd always treated him kindly. Only now, was he just starting to see it, and he was grateful.

Sabaku Residence

Shia bustled about the kitchen preparing all the things she'd need to make dinner. Her grandmother was visiting tonight for dinner in order to meet everyone. Temari was excited about meeting her, while Kankurou and Gaara just looked upset. She figured they were nervous. Everything had to be perfect, so Shia went about seasoning the meat, and chopping the vegetables for the salad.

Gaara walked into he kitchen to see the nurse scrambling around chopping, sprinkling, tenderizing, and whatever other 'ings' came with cooking. She seemed in a complete trance as she tried to make everything perfect for their dinner tonight. He took a seat at the kitchen table, and just watched her for a few moments. Her grandmother was coming, and the thought of it gave him a really annoying feeling in his stomach that made him want to rip it out. What if her grandmother saw him for the monster he was, and took Shia away from him? He didn't like that idea at all, but then again, she'd be leaving in five days. He might never see her again.

"Um…oh no…man…damnit!" she cursed, looking around wildly before finally resting her dark blue eyes on him. Relief filled them, something he was still getting used to. Why she was relieved, or happy…or giddy when she saw him, was still beyond him. For the most part he just rationalized that she was insane, and that's why she could like him, if he could even say that much.

"Gaara, can I ask a favor of you?" she said, her blue eyes pleading. He felt his stomach jump up. 'She must know that look can get her anything she wants. She has to know. I bet Temari taught it to her,' Gaara thought, angry at his traitorous innards.

"Hn," he said, doing a wonderful job of looking and sounding disinterested. She smiled brightly, knowing that meant yes.

"Okay, could you taste this for me? I can't figure out what it needs, or if it needs anything at all," she said, holding a spoon with one hand and cupping the other under it so the juices wouldn't leak onto the floor.

He nodded, and opened his mouth to say something, but found the spoon had been put in his mouth. He glared at her, but the seasoning was delicious, and he couldn't imagine it needing anything else. She was close to him, wearing her little pink 'Kiss the Cook' apron Temari had bought her in thanks for her lovely dinners. He felt that irritating heat rising to his face when….GASP!

"Well…this is unexpected," Kankurou's voice said in a teasing tone. Gaara's aqua eyes snapped to the kitchen doorway where there was a very shocked looking Temari, and a smug looking puppet master.

Shia was inches away from him, the spoon she was holding, was placed gently in his mouth. He was blushing, now she was blushing, and she was standing in between his legs in her 'Kiss the Cook' apron with no idea how scandalous the whole scene looked. To anyone who didn't know them, and apparently Kankurou, it would seem they were a couple. She would look like a girlfriend, lovingly feeding her stoic boyfriend…about to…

"Soooooooooooo!" came Kankurou's suddenly very irritating voice. Shia jumped back as if scalded, wrenching the spoon out of his mouth in a painful manner. The sand in his gourd stirred, but he forced it to remain in its place. She seemed to notice she'd caused him pain, and was instantly by him again, placing a napkined hand against the little trickle of blood on his lip. (BLOOD! SHE MADE YOU BLEED! KILL HER! KILL HER NOW!)

"You know Gaara, I'd never take you for the charmer, but apparently you have Miss Shia here vexed," his older brother teased, earning a bloodthirsty glare from the both of them. Gaara focused on trying to burn a hole in his brother's forehead.

"I guess we should've come home later…eh Temari?" he said, obviously having fun with this.

"Um…" she mumbled, still in shock. Shia stood up straight and glared hell flames at Kankurou until he shuddered.

"Don't be disgusting!" the medic snapped.

"Then perhaps you have a non-'disgusting' explanation for this," he said chuckling. Shia just turned stiffly and walked angrily back to the stove.

"I don't have to explain myself to you Kankurou, why don't you do something productive like setting the table you pervert," she said coldly. Temari smirked at her younger brother, who looked like he'd been slapped.

"Shia..I,"

"Just get out!" she half yelled, and he scurried out of the room with plates and silver wear. Temari laughed.

"I'll leave you to cool down. Don't be too hard on Kankurou, he's only an idiot," the blond said to a very red, livid medic who was currently beating the life out of the chicken breast. When Temari heard an affirming grunt from her brunette friend, she walked out to help her brother set the table. Of course that entailed sitting, pointing, and laughing as he nervously flitted around to get it done.

Gaara stared at the seriously peeved nurse from across the room. He wanted to comfort her, but he really wasn't very good at that sort of thing, and he still wasn't comfortable about just hugging her out of the blue. He still waited for her to initiate, because he didn't want to hug her, and then feel her tense up afraid of him. She was the first person who was open to a friendship with him, though now he guessed he kind of had Naruto as a friend too, and he didn't want to chase her away.

"That brother of yours is too much," she said through gritted teeth. He felt her trying to control her rage. She was almost like the fire she controlled, angry and violent when fueled with the right stuff.

"Like Temari said, he's an idiot," Gaara stated simply. Her shoulders relaxed noticeably. She turned, her dark eyes fixing on him apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I should've let you do it yourself. I was just too anxious. I didn't think about whether you'd be upset or not, and that's not what friends do…so…I'm sorry," she said, looking at the ground. He sighed.

"I'm not angry," he said, and she looked back at him.

"Good," she said, sounding relieved, "But, I don't want you to think that I'm afraid of you being angry or anything. I just don't want to lose you as a friend," she said, feeling she needed to clarify. He allowed an amused smirk to grace his features.

"It was perfect," he said, walking up to her. She stared at him with a confused look in her eyes for a minute.

"The seasoning…it doesn't need anything," he said, and then walked out to the dining room where he'd deal with his brother. Shia smiled, and went back to her preparations.

Hyuuga Estate

"Oh man! I didn't even realize what time it was. It's so late, I'm sorry I took up your whole day Hinata-chan," he said, throwing his orange sweatshirt over his black T. She just smiled as she picked up his dirty dishes, and deposited them in the sink.

"D..don't be silly N..Naruto-kun," she said, turning back to see him putting his shoes on. Her heart clenched a little bit. She didn't want him to leave. It was then that her cousin and her father walked into the house. Naruto froze, looking wide eyed up at the head of the Hyuuga clan, while Neji looked from the blond, to his younger cousin with suspicious eyes.

"Father…" Hinata said quietly, bowing her head in respect. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hinata, you didn't tell me you'd have a friend over today," he stated, pearly eyes piercing down at the blond on the floor. Naruto just stared back up at him.

"Gomen father, I..I went grocery shopping today, and Naruto-kun…he h..helped me carry them h..home," she explained softly, not looking up from the ground.

"I see," her father said.

"Don't blame Hinata-chan er..Mr. Hyuuga…um..it's my fault. I should have left earlier," Naruto said, hoping he hadn't gotten her in trouble. The man looked at him again, and Naruto smiled at him, hoping he didn't screw up.

"Well Hinata-sama maybe you should accompany Naruto to the main gate, it's about dinner time," Neji inserted. Hinata nodded, quickly threw on her shoes, and grabbed Naruto to drag him out of the house. The blond fox followed closely behind his raven haired friend, vaguely aware that they were holding hands. When they reached the gate of the Hyuuga compound, they turned to face each other.

"You're not in trouble are you Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, hoping to the heavens he didn't just mess things up for her. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, I'm s..sure my f…father won't even mention it when I..I get back in the house," she replied. He found it hard to believe. If he were her father, he'd have killed himself for being alone in the house with her.

"Hinata…I don't want you to get in trouble because of me," he said seriously. Her pearly white eyes looked up at him, affection pouring from their depths.

"Don't w..worry about m..me. F..father won't s..say anything. N…Neji..n..niisan might a…ask me a..about it l..later, b..but th…that's it," she said, and Naruto relaxed.

"Okay Hinata-chan. It was really fun hanging out with you today. Maybe we can train sometime or something," he offered, she smiled.

"Th..that would be nice. I g…guess I'll see y…you some other time," she said, he nodded.

"G'night!" he called as he bounced his way out of the Hyuuga complex.

"Night," Hinata called back, and then turned back to her house.

Sabaku Residence

Shia was still cooking. Almost everything was done, all that needed to be finished was the desert. She placed the cake in the oven, satisfied with the dinner she'd made for her grandmother, and her hosts. She put the salad into a big serving bowl, and set out some dressings for the first course of dinner. When she turned around to get some silver wear, she was faced with a pair of aqua eyes. She gasped and dropped the serving spoon she was holding to the floor with a loud 'CLANG'. She laughed, picked it up, and started to rinse it off.

"Gaara you startled me. Say something the next time you come up behind me will ya?" she said, turning the water off and looking at him. He smirked.

"But you're funny when you drop things," he answered with an amused drawl. She glared at him playfully, happy he was comfortable enough to joke with her. He kept his face set in that smirk of his with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What brings you in here?" she asked, leaning against the counter. His face became devoid of emotion again, what she had learned is his 'normal' face.

"Temari said to tell you your grandmother has arrived," he said in a monotone.

"Oh, okay. In that case, could you grab the salad dressings while I take the salad out?" she asked. He nodded and walked over to help. Shia walked into the dining room, happy to see that her grandmother seemed to be getting along with Temari and Kankurou. The old woman really seemed to be enjoying giving Kankurou a hard time.

"They seem quite nice…these friends of yours Shia," the Akito Elder said, and Shia felt herself smile. She was happy her grandmother approved. That meant it would be that much easier to persuade the old woman to let her come to Sunagakure sometimes.


	15. Birthday Fun and Goodbyes

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 14

The Sabaku family sat in their living room about to begin their first "family meeting". Temari was on the chair next to the television with Gaara and Kankurou on the couch together. The dinner with Shia's grandmother had gone quite well, and the old woman had absolutely fallen in love with Kankurou. Shia was currently at her training session, and Temari had called a meeting with her family in order to disclose some information she'd been given the night before.

"Alright you two…Shia is leaving in four days, and she's been great. Last night when I saw her grandmother to the door, the old woman gave me some information," the blond started. Gaara sent her an inquiring look.

"What kind of information?" Kankurou asked.

(Flashback)

Temari walked the old woman to the door because Shia was busy clearing the table, and her two brothers were trying to insist that they do the dishes. It had been a fun dinner, the old woman was polite, and had genuinely liked the family her grandchild was currently staying with. As Temari opened the door to let the old woman out, a wrinkled hand took a light hold of her arm. The blond turned her green eyes on the Akito Elder.

"Thank you for a wonderful time. It's good to see Shia so happy," she said going soft in the eyes. Temari smiled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, and we're all glad to have her here. She's a sweet girl, and an awesome medic," she said. The old lady smiled.

"Thank you, I'm sure she's going to miss you all when she leaves. But at least she'll be here for her birthday. The day after tomorrow, Shia turns thirteen," the old woman said, and Temari's eyes widened. 'Why hasn't she mentioned it?' the blond thought.

"We'll make sure she has a happy birthday," the oldest Sand Sibling said. The woman nodded and took her leave.

(end flashback)

"Her birthday? But she didn't say a word," Kankurou said.

"I know, I don't know why. She hasn't mentioned it to me. Did she say anything to you Gaara?" Temari asked. The pale eyed boy frowned and shook his head.

"Why wouldn't she say anything? I don't understand. Most girls her age are dropping hints for presents for weeks before their birthdays," Kankurou said looking pointedly at his sister, who promptly ignored him.

"I don't know. But…it's tomorrow...I wanna surprise her…..Oh! I know! We'll take her to the Sunagakure Heritage Festival. It starts tomorrow, I'm sure she'd love that," Temari said, earning a nod from both brothers.

"What about her presents? I have no clue what to get her," Kankurou said, scratching his head with his goofy grin set in place. Gaara just stared. He had to get her a gift? He'd never received a gift in his entire life, let alone given one to someone else, and that someone else most certainly had never been female.

"Well, I know what I'm getting her. You'll have to figure it out on your own Kankurou, I can't sit here and spoon feed you your entire life…oh, but Gaara, I have a perfect idea for you," she said, turning her eyes on her youngest brother. He raised a non-existant brow at her.

"Oh, you can't spoon feed me, but you'll tell short stuff here what he can get her," Kankurou drawled. Temari just chuckled a little.

"Well…yea…I like him better," she said, and the puppet master glared. He stood up quickly and stormed out of the house yelling something about 'looking at the market for a gift' before slamming the door. It was quiet for some time, and then Temari looked back at her other brother.

"Come with me to the market. I want to show you," she said, and he was hesitant to accept.

He didn't like walking around the village. There were too many bad memories, and too many people who made him angry. It was much easier to keep control inside. He didn't want to disappoint his sister though, he didn't want her to stop liking him. He wanted her to love him like she did now for the rest of his life. He rose with her, feeling like he wanted to please her so she'd never hate him again.

"You know Gaara…if you don't want to go…you don't have to. I just wanted to show you something…and I wanted to spend a little time with you. But if you're not comfortable going out there, then I won't be angry if you decide to stay," she said, looking at him with caring eyes.

He felt his heart thump, and warm a little bit. No…maybe nothing would make her stop loving him. 'Is that what love is? Is it something that doesn't fade away?' he thought to himself quietly. He looked up at his sister, and found that he did want to go with her. Even if the village hated him, he had Temari…and Kankurou…Shia….and Naruto Uzumaki. Even though his dream was to be one day accepted by the people who hated him…right now, he could deal with it. His sister wanted to spend time with him in public. She was not ashamed of him. She wanted people to see them together, and it made him feel warm inside.

"I want to go," he said simply, and strode towards the door to hold it open for his very happy looking sister.

Sunagakure Tea Shop

"You did a good job today. I think we can stop for today, seeing as your birthday is tomorrow. You never did tell me what you wanted," Akito Shizuka told her granddaughter. Shia placed her tea cup down gently on the table.

"No…you've done so much already. I think I might pass the Chuunin Exams because of you. I don't want anything…we'll just have a little celebration at your hotel room tomorrow night," Shia said, but the Akito Elder shook her head.

"I'm leaving tomorrow night. You've got four days left here, and you've grown so much already. I think you're ready for the exams, so I'm going home tomorrow night. Your grandfather is probably so lonely without me. I'm taking you out to lunch tomorrow, but I do want to get you a gift Shia. You only turn thirteen once," the old woman explained.

"Oh…no…I don't want anything. Thirteen isn't that big a deal. Sure you only turn thirteen once, but the same could be said about fourteen, fifteen…and so on. You know I've never been big on gifts," the young medic said. Her grandmother reached out and placed a wrinkled hand over her small, smooth one. Shia's dark blue eyes moved up to the old woman's wise ones.

"Shia, you should just learn to accept gifts with grace. You deserve them. You're a bright young lady who's future is looking great. You're parents would be proud," the old woman said, eyes saddening a little. Shia felt tears sting her lids, but she held them back.

"Thank you…" she murmured, taking another sip of tea to calm her. 'Another birthday…another day without them…..another celebration without the two people I love the most….' she thought. She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt her grandmother squeeze her hand.

"I'm going back to my hotel room to relax. I suggest you do the same. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch," the old woman said, rising and placing some money on the table. Shia nodded, and got up. After a quick goodbye, both ninja went their separate ways.

Sunagakure Market

"That's the one!" Temari cried pointing to a small stuffed panda in the window of the toy store. Gaara looked at the little panda. Shia had wanted this?

"Are you sure?" he asked, sending a skeptic look her way through his minty eyes.

"Yea, it was one of the first days she was here, if not the first, and she thought it was so adorable," the blond said.

"Hn," Gaara answered.

"She didn't buy it though. She said she'd need her money for medical supplies, and something about being too old for stuffed animals. But I know she wanted it! I was actually planning to come back and buy it for some time," Temari explained. Gaara stared at the plushy panda bear, wondering just how ridiculous he'd look carrying it out of the store.

"I don't know.." he said slowly, and his sister frowned.

"Come on Gaara…it's not like you had any idea what to get her anyways. And it's the least you can do for her since she saved your life and all. Isn't she your first friend? Don't you want her to be happy?" Temari asked, using the age old trick of guilt to get what she wanted.

Gaara frowned…Kankurou had warned him about this. 'Women like to use guilt to get what they want' he'd said.

'Well, I guess it works…she's right. I had no idea what to get Shia for her birthday….and if the bear is something she already wanted, I guess it couldn't hurt to buy it.'

(No! Do you even hear yourself boy!? You're going soft! What, because your sister gives you a little attention and that damned girl ACTS nice for a little while. You know they'll just end up hurting you. Just like Yashamaru! Do you want to feel that again boy!? Do you?! You're setting yourself up! If you let your guard down you're going to regret it. I'm your only friend boy! I'm the only one who's been here since the beginning protecting you, and I'm the one who'll be there in the end. Fight only for yourself! Love only yourself! Or have you forgotten what that scar on your head means?) Shukaku roared in his mind. Gaara felt his heart tighten painfully at the thought of losing all the love he'd gained from his siblings…at the thought of more betrayal. Then he thought of Naruto. He'd been betrayed by Sasuke…and yet…instead of turning on everyone…instead of closing himself off…he decided to fight for those bonds.

'No…no….NO! You're wrong! You're wrong! They wouldn't! Even if you weren't wrong! I won't let that happen! I will fight for these bonds I have now! Because they are worth fighting for,' the redhead thought back, frantically pushing the demon away. It was getting difficult. He felt the pain in his head, but he didn't move. He didn't show it, because he didn't want to ruin this outing with his sister. He could fight. He would win control of his body. It was then that he felt himself squeezed lightly against something warm and soft. He looked up to see his sister had wrapped her arms around him from behind and pulled him close.

"So what do you think Gaara? You wanna buy it?" she asked, her green eyes looking down at him with sisterly love. Shukaku receded in his mind, and he found himself staring at the panda in the window again. 'I'll always be here little brother. I'm going to protect you for as long as I live,' Temari promised in her mind.

With Kankurou

"Damnit! Why can't this just be easy? Whatever! I'll take this!" the puppet master shouted at the clerk. He thrust the small gift into the cashier's hands, and sighed defeated. He'd been out for several hours and still wasn't happy with what he'd chosen.

'Oh well…she'll probably like it anyway. I mean, I hope so,' he thought walking back towards his house.

Sabaku Residence

Shia walked into the house making her way swiftly to the guest bedroom. She wanted to rest, but first a shower seemed in order. The young ninja was still sweaty from training, and a hot shower was just oh so tempting at the moment. When she reached her room, she quickly stripped off her tight training suit and made her way into the bathroom. The hot water felt wonderful against her sore muscles. Shia always made sure the water was hot to the point that she would come out pink. Nearly scalding droplets of water ran over her entire body, and she felt herself relaxing against the shower wall.

She rinsed the shampoo out of her long chocolate hair and shut the water off. After wrapping a soft towel over her pink naked form, she allowed herself to collapse on her bed. It was her birthday tomorrow. Always a hard day for an orphan. Knowing that the two people responsible for said day could not be present to see it…to celebrate it..that's what hurt the most. The young medic closed her navy blue eyes and allowed sleep to take her.

Gaara's room

It had been some time since Temari and Gaara had returned from the toy store. It was not something he wanted to think about at the moment. The thought of how those people reacted to him was enough to get his blood boiling. Right now, Gaara sat cross-legged on his bed, doing something he'd never done in his life. He was making a birthday card. His sister had told him to fold a piece of paper in half, and write something personal on the inside. She had promised to decorate it for him, saying something like, 'boys don't understand the idea of cute', and he had no qualms about it. It's not like he knew how to decorate it anyways.

'Shia,

Happy Birthday, I don't really know what to say...'

"No….that's not right. I can't say that," Gaara mumbled to himself. He crumpled the piece of paper and threw it at the garbage can across the room. He folded a fresh one and started again.

'Shia,

Happy Birthday, I hope you have a good day. You are really nice' CRUMPLE

"No, that's not right either, Growl," Gaara said as a knock sounded from his door. His sister's blond head poked into the room.

"Hey shortcake! How's it going in here?" she asked, green eyes roaming over all the crumpled papers scattered across the room. He sent her a look that made his frustration inescapably clear. She chuckled.

"Okay, listen. Just be yourself. Start out with 'Happy Birthday' and just write what you really think. Knowing Shia, she'll appreciate the fact that you tried at all. Just calm down, and don't think it through too much, just be yourself," his sister repeated. He nodded, and she left him to his business.

Kitchen

Kankurou walked into the kitchen to find his sister washing dishes. He wondered briefly if she was planning on making dinner, and then begged the gods silently that it wasn't so. She seemed to be in a good mood, and he found himself wanting to annoy her, just because he knew he could.

"I hope your not planning on making dinner. We all know what happens when you cook," he poked. She just ignored him and continued to wash the dishes.

"No matter what you say you can't ruin my mood today," Temari answered. Kankurou just smirked, a retort already forming on his annoying lips.

"Why, did Nara ask you out or something?" he saw her tense, but still, no yelling or flying dishes.

"No, Gaara and I had an afternoon out today. It went pretty well considering, even though I'd love to kill the people who were in the store with us," she said, putting a dish in the drying wrack a little hard.

"What did they do?" Kankurou asked. She turned to him with an angry, but sad look in her green eyes.

"You know what they did. What they always do. He didn't even do anything to them. He was completely silent, and even polite, but they didn't care. They looked at him with hate filled eyes, and fear. And the clerk…oh don't even get me started on him. I had to buy the gift that Gaara got for Shia because the clerk simply refused to serve him," she explained in a strained tone. The puppet master sighed.

"Do you think they'll ever stop?" he asked hopefully. Temari turned back to the dishes.

"I don't know, but I hope so. I like him the way he is now. I want him to be happy. I don't want him to revert back just because a couple of idiots hate him for something that's not even his fault," the blond said, voicing a fear that both siblings shared for the first time.

"I know, me either. He's starting to let down those walls. He's making friends…er..a friend. We can't let him get hurt anymore. We have to protect him. Even from Shukaku," the brunette boy said. He heard a grunt of agreement from the sink that muffled a sniffle. Gently he wove his arms around his sister and hugged her reassuringly.

"We can do it Temari," he said, and took a place helping his sister with the dishes.

Shia's Room

'Mommy…..mommy NOOOOO!'

Shia sprung up from her sleep in a cold sweat. Tears were streaming over her sorrow filled face, and great sobs convulsed her body in terrible shudders. She cried, she sobbed screams muffled by the pillow. 'Why? Why did they have to die? Why couldn't I have died with them? What had they ever done to those ninja? Those bastards…bandits…those rogue ninja who killed my parents. Why?' the girl thought wildly as she sobbed. There was a knock on the door, and she immediately held her breath to quiet her sobbing.

"Y..yes?" she managed.

"Shia…" a cool monotone said from behind the door. It was Gaara! She couldn't let him see her like this. It was too late however, the door started opening, and she rushed to wipe her tears. Taking deep shaky breaths she attempted to calm herself.

Gaara stood in the doorway of his friend's room. He'd heard her tossing about restlessly on his way to the bathroom, and he decided to check up on her. As he looked at her, he took note of the puffy bloodshot eyes, and shaky uneven breaths. 'She's been crying…' he thought.

"G..Gaara! Is everything okay?" she asked him, trying to hide the fact she'd just been sobbing. He said nothing as he silently walked over to the distraught girl. If she thought she was doing a good job hiding it, she really needed a mirror.

"Did you need something?" she asked, looking frazzled and upset. He calmly reached out a hand to feel the dampness of her cheek. She'd been crying alright….

"Why?" was his quiet question. She looked at him with wide watery blue eyes and shuddered a repressed sob. Shia shook her head frantically, and he could hear her short, uncontrolled breaths that served to force back her tears.

Shia felt herself breaking inside. She didn't want him to see her like this. She didn't want him to see her weak. She felt…like she didn't deserve to be upset…like she should be grateful for everything she had in his presence…because what she'd been through…was nothing in comparison to what his life must have been like. She had people who loved her. What right did she have sobbing like this? Why couldn't she just move on, and be grateful for the things she had now? Was she so selfish?

Gaara stared down at the girl who was trying so hard not to cry in front of him. She was trying to be strong. He didn't know why she was so upset. The sight of her like this was making him uncomfortable. He had no idea what to do with her. He had no idea how to make her stop. (Kill her…look how afraid she is of you. She can't even let down her defenses enough to cry in front of you. What kind of friend is that?) Shukaku chided in his mind. Gaara ignored him. How could he come to such a conclusion if he wasn't letting down his defenses…almost at all?

"Why?" he repeated, feeling his heart clench when a tear broke free of her control and made a shining path over her cheek.

"I..I'm o..okay. P…please…don't…it's not..I…important," she choked out, and he just continued to stare at her with those piercing pale eyes. Without saying a word, he was demanding an answer from her. She knew he would not leave until he got one.

"I..it's difficult for me to talk about. I feel so selfish crying here about my life…when I know you've suffered so much more than I have. B…but I can't help it! When I was very young…my parents and I were returning from a family vacation. It all happened so fast…the rogue ninja attacked, and my father shielded us with his body as my mother tried to flee with me. It must have been midnight before the battle was finally over. Father was dead, along with all of the ninja who'd attacked us. M…mommy…" her voice broke, but she took a breath a pressed on.

"Mommy was wounded so badly. I wanted to save her. I wanted to heal her. I tried…but I was so young. I couldn't do anything for her. She died…she died and there was nothing I could do to help her! She'd risked her life to save me, and I couldn't even find the strength to make sure she lived," she explained, her voice shaking in her attempts to quell the sobbing.

Gaara was speechless, though he never spoke much, he really couldn't find the words he knew he needed to comfort her. He'd never known. He'd never have guessed she'd suffered so much. She thought she was selfish for crying? That's why she didn't want to cry in front of him? Because she felt selfish? He broke out of his thoughts to stare down at her trembling form. He wished she'd just cry. It would help. It would release her pain. Seeing her fight it on his behalf made him uncomfortable.

Shia sat in silence. She'd just spilled her entire life story. The first she'd told was Temari, but she'd never told anyone why she tried so hard not to succumb to her sorrow. She'd guarded the secret well. She didn't want people to worry. She didn't want to be selfish. She had so much to be happy about, and here she was, fighting her emotions once again. Suddenly, she felt herself drawn roughly against something hard and warm. A small grunt of surprise left her mouth as she stared up into seemingly endless jade eyes.

Gaara's stomach was doing gold medal worthy back flips in his abdomen. He was nervous. For lack of anything else to do, he'd seized the medic into his arms, a bit roughly, but hey…this is the first time he'd ever hugged someone. Her big, shining navy eyes stared up at him, sorrow written through the deepest depths of them.

He felt her body convulse in preparation for her savage sobs. Her eyes narrowed as the tears started pouring freely over her pale cheeks. Finally those dark blue orbs squeezed shut, and he felt her lithe arms contract tightly around his waist. Her face buried into his shoulder, and she soaked his shirt with limitless tears. Her body quaked and quivered violently as she sobbed severely into him. Her hands clawed into his back as if she were afraid that he would leave if she didn't hold onto him tight enough. Eventually, he found himself holding her closer. Her cries came out in anguished screams, he could roughly make out a few words here and there. Mostly…'no' and 'why?'. Gaara heard the door slammed open, and snapped his eyes over to a worried looking pair of siblings.

"Oh my god…" was Temari's reaction as she stood in frozen concern. Kankurou stood at the door, dark brown eyes trained confused on the screaming girl in his brother's arms.

Finally, after several minutes, Shia's sobbing calmed down to soft sniffles and quiet whimpers. The quaking tremors of her body relaxed to slight shivers. Gaara wrapped an arm securely around her waist, and moved the other one up to press against her soft chocolate hair. Letting instinct take over, he wove his fingers into that hair, and massaged the girl's scalp gently. After a few more seconds, she had relaxed completely. Shia's breaths became even and her body slumped limply against his. Lifting her up, he watched as Temari broke out of her daze to rush forward and pull the covers back. After laying the brunette in the bed, he shot a look at his siblings who nodded, and followed him out of the room.

"I'll explain Kankurou," Temari said, "We really have to show her a good time tomorrow. I think I'll take her shopping when she wakes up. She'll need a new kimono for the festival." The two others silently agreed it would be a good chance to get the girl's mind off things. After a brief silence, Temari launched into the explanation of Shia's sadness to the only Sabaku who still didn't know.

Shia's Birthday Lunch

A small brown bird landed on Shia's right shoulder with a little scroll attached to its feet. Shia looked at it…it was quite adorable. Soon there were four other birds, and she finally knew what it was all about. Birthday wishes from her friends back in Konoha. How she'd missed them. She couldn't wait to have tea with Hinata at the Hyuuga compound, or ramen with Naruto…or have a sleep over with Ino, Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata. Of course…she'd miss everyone here, but she quickly dismissed that thought. She'd promised Temari that she'd have a good day today, and not let any negativity make her sad. She untied the scrolls and watched the birds fly away.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia-chan!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! When you get back I'm taking you out for ramen, and since it's for your birthday, you only have to pay for a quarter. Hehe…you know how short on cash I am.

Uzumaki Naruto.'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia-chan,

I wish you a very happy birthday from the Hyuuga household, and from me, Hinata. I hope you will come over for tea when you return. Have a good time today!

Hyuuga Hinata'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia-chan,

Happy Birthday, Birthday girl! Wow! I can't believe you're thirteen! Way to beat me to it! pout Well anyways, have a good day. I'll give you your present when you come back!

Yamanaka Ino 3'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia,

Happy Birthday from the Haruno family! Thank you so much for writing to Sakura as often as you have been. It's really helped her out. She's even started smiling again. Mr. Haruno and I hope you have a lovely day. Best wishes!

Mr. And Mrs. Haruno'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia-chan,

Tenten here! Happy Birthday Shia! I hope you have a really good day, and Lee sends his best wishes for your birthday as well. Have a good one.

Tenten'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Akito Shia,

Happy Birthday! I hope you are doing well with your mission in Sunagakure. My pupil Sakura Haruno regrets that she is too busy training to send you this letter herself, so I made sure to send one for her. She wishes you a very happy birthday, and wants you to have a good time today. She also wishes to thank you for writing to her while you were away. Have a great day, and I'll be looking forward to seeing how you've improved over the last three weeks.

Sincerely,

Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Shia stared down at the letter from the Hokage, and couldn't help but feel proud of her best friend. Sakura was training with the best ninja in the village. A medic-nin nonetheless. Shia couldn't wait to chat medic with her friend when she returned. She looked up at her grandmother who'd almost finished her lunch. All in all it'd been a pleasant afternoon. It was when a small box was shoved in her face that she broke out of her thoughts.

"Baasan….I told you.."

"No, take it. I'm your grandmother. I have the right to give you a gift on your birthday, and I will be very insulted if you don't take it gratefully," her grandmother interrupted.

Shia felt a stab of guilt in her gut, and she hesitantly reached out for the box. Inside was a white god necklace with a heart shaped orange-red stone in the middle. It shimmered beautifully in the glaring desert sun. Shia felt herself smile happily.

"Baasan…it's beautiful," she said, fastening it around her neck.

"It's a fire country diamond. Very rare, only two families in Konoha have ever been recorded in possession of one. The Akito Clan, and the Uchiha Clan…the fire users. It's about time you inherited it. It was your mother's you know. When she married my son, he gave it to her. Your mother was a fire user herself, she was an Akito, but very distant. The Clan was huge, your mother was like a fifteenth cousin or something, but the Akito bloodline limit was strong in her. They'd be proud of you Shia," the old woman explained. Shia felt tears well up, but willed them away. Today was her birthday and she would have fun damnit! If for anyone….her parents.

"Thank you Baasan," she said quietly.

"Your welcome. Now, I think it's about time we go pick up my things at the hotel. And you can walk me to the gates," the old woman said, and Shia nodded, following her grandmother.

Traditional Robe Shop

"Gaara, just come out of the dressing room will ya. No one else is here except me and you. It was the whole point of coming now while everyone's at lunch," Kankurou whined loudly.

Gaara said nothing, but emerged in the robes Kankurou had picked out for him. Kankurou nodded and told him to go back into the dressing room to change again. They bought their robes and rushed out of the store before anyone else could come in. It wasn't that Kankurou didn't want to be seen with Gaara. He just didn't want his little brother to be uncomfortable. Tonight would be a major step out of the redhead's comfort zone. He had agreed to go to the festival after Shia's breakdown. There'd be tons of people there.

"Let's get something to eat eh?" the puppet master suggested. Gaara nodded as they walked into a small restaurant. He ignored the fact that the place had gone silent as soon as he entered.

"Over here," Kankurou said, sitting down at a table near the back. Silently the redhead was grateful for his brother's understanding. They both sat, and began to look at the menus. A petite waitress with large brown eyes, tan skin, and a lean figure walked cheerfully up to them.

"Good afternoon, I'm Mizu and I will be your server today," she chirped without looking at them, "Can I start you off with a couple of drinks?" she asked.

"Maa…water's good for me sweetheart," Kankurou said, winking at the girl who was now blushing and smiling back. Gaara didn't want to speak, he just nodded towards his brother, who did the same back and smiled at the waitress.

"Short stuff here will have the same," he added, and the waitress turned her vibrant brown eyes on him. The redhead kept his face impassive. Not vicious, not bloodthirsty, certainly not horrifying, but not friendly either. He saw her tremble, and she rushed away. At least this one had the decency to hide her fear.

(Night time at Sabaku Residence)

"Come on Temari! We gotta go!" Kankurou yelled frustrated up the stairs.

"Alright we're coming!" Temari screamed back.

Hurried footsteps stomped down the staircase as the blond Sabaku emerged wearing a floor length kimono. It was eggshell white with twisting designs of windblown golden leaves sewn into the silken fabric. She had a golden obi tied around her waist, and her shoulder length sandy blond hair hung down instead of the usual four pigtails. She looked very much like a Wind Country princess, except…'She's prettier,' both brothers thought proudly.

"Wow Temari, you don't look completely hideous," Kankurou said in his code language for 'you look very nice.' Temari's prettily made up face sneered at him.

"Oh thanks…can't say the same about you though," she said with laughter in her green eyes.

"Whatever…where's the birthday girl?" he asked. Temari shrugged and turned towards the stairs again.

"Come on Shia, don't be so shy," Temari called, and she heard a defeated sigh.

"But…"

"You look fine, now come down here, we're going to be late," the blond tried again.

"Sorry…" was the quiet reply as soft footsteps descended the stairs.

Shia emerged with her small manicured hands folded together, looking at the ground. She wore a long, trailing deep orange, almost red kimono that matched the pretty heart necklace she wore around her neck. Woven flames licked around every developing curve of her silk draped body, and she wore a deep red obi with the eyes of a dragon stitched in. Her long, much longer than any of them had thought, chocolate hair hung loose in silky waves framing her lightly made up face.

"Wow birthday girl, you clean up nice," Kankurou complimented, and Shia smiled blushing.

She looked up at her friends who'd so kindly decided to take her out for her birthday. Temari looked stunning of course. That was to be expected. Kankurou actually looked cultured, and he wasn't wearing his face paint which made him look all the more handsome. He was wearing black traditional male robes. Gaara wore black also, though his had a few swirls of golden design. All the black set off his sea foam green eyes, and Shia found herself wondering if the Sabaku family really knew how good looking they all were.

"Well let's get going then," Temari sang, hooking her arm loosely, almost reluctantly in her brunette brother's. Gaara fell into step beside Shia as they made their way to the festival.

The streets of Sunagakure were alive with festivities. There were games, food stands, trinket shops, and more. Shia's eyes lit up in amazement. She'd been to festivals in Konoha, but the culture here was so much different. The smells, the sights, the warm breeze of the desert night brushed through her curled brunette hair. Temari had wandered over to a trinket stand, while Kankurou was gobbling up something that looked delicious not too far away. Gaara stood silently next to her, looking stoic as usual, yet she could feel an uncomfortable vibe coming off of him.

"Gaara…you know you didn't have to come here tonight if you were uncomfortable? I would have understood," she said softly, placing a small hand on his shoulder. Those piercing mint eyes turned on her, and he shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said simply, and at that she knew to leave it alone. Shia did, however, want to loosen him up a little bit. Why should she be the only one having fun? A game caught her eye. She grabbed hold of Gaara wrist and dragged him off in the direction.

"Over here! Let's play…please!" she said, navy eyes turning into big puppy eyes.

'She definitely knows that look can get her anything she wants,' he thought to himself, vaguely wondering who'd taught her such means of manipulation. Did all women know how to get what they want so easily? He made a mental note to be extra on guard when fighting female ninja.

"Hn…" he answered, allowing her to drag him towards the game. It was a simple idea.

Hit the balloon, get a prize, simple for a shinobi. He saw Shia staring at him expectantly. He was sure she could win this game no problem, she was an adequate kunoichi. This should be no problem for her, so why did she want him to do it?

"Girls like it when guys win them prizes and stuff like that. Makes them feel special," he heard his brother's voice whisper in his ear.

Gaara turned his head and was met with gleaming brown eyes. His older brother nodded and pushed him forward, disappearing to another food stand some feet away. The redhead stumbled a little, barely visible, and turned towards the man in charge of the game.

"What are the rules?" he asked monotonously. The game keep, despite the fear in his eyes, handed him two knives. 'So what if he's a monster, if he's gonna pay me I don't care,' the old man thought.

"You throw these knives and try to hit the balloons. Each balloon has a winning ticket inside that decides your prize. There are a few with no tickets at all," he explained, doing his best to seem unafraid of the boy in front of him.

"I'll only need one of these knives," Gaara said, pushing the other away, the game keep frowned.

One knife was five dollars, but people usually needed at least two tries. 'Damn ninja!' he thought in his mind. The pretty brunette girl next to the monster placed a tiny hand on his forearm. She smiled at him, which threw the game keep off, no one smiled at Sabaku no Gaara. He saw the redhead send her a questioning look.

"I want to play too," she said, earning another confused look. 'Girls like it when guys win them prizes and stuff like that…' If she was going to play why did he have to?

"You don't wanna play?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading. He sighed and took both knives handing the game keep ten dollars at the same time. 'A woman is truly an amazing creature,' the game keep thought.

With Kankurou

The puppet master grinned at his handiwork. Faster than he knew the game keep could see, Gaara had thrown the knife directly into the center balloon with a loud POP! The middle Sabaku knew that was probably the best prize. Shia had jumped slightly at the sound of the pop and missed her target. She was currently pouting cutely at her avoidable mistake. Kankurou turned away, turning his eyes on his older sister, who was surrounded by a flock of boys, and looking extremely irritated. 'Oh no! Those guys had better back off!' he thought, walking over as calmly as he could.

"Come on Temari-chan. Go out with me please?"

"No, me!"

"You look so pretty tonight!"

"You're a goddess!"

"Come home with me baby, I'll show you a good ti-!" PUNCH!

A sandy haired, skinny boy flew six feet into the nearest wall as Kankurou glared down at him heatedly from beside his older sister. The others backed up immediately, clearly frightened of the puppet master. All were hoping he hadn't heard what they had said to the gorgeous blond. Temari was a very sought out female in Sunagakure. Daughter of the late Kazekage, strong, beautiful, and soon to be wealthy(whenever those old coots finally gave up on trying to crack her father's will.) Families would kill to have their surname attached to the powerful girl.

She was about marrying age now. Fifteen, the elders had been pushing her as of late to start searching. See, when you're a shinobi, things move a little faster than normal. You could die any day. There's always that fear of death on every mission. Especially when you've just become a Chuunin in the sand village. Chuunin were allowed to take much higher ranked missions in Sunagakure than most other villages.

"Don't you ever say something like that to her. She's not some two bit tramp you can seduce into your bed, have a quick romp, and forget about in the morning. None of you are worth her breath, and if I see any of you around her again you'll all be dead," Kankurou threatened, sending a steely glare around at the frightened looking boys.

"She's a big girl. I'm sure she can make her own decisions," one of the guys dared to say, and the puppet master whirled on him. He fixed him with a malicious look.

"If you ever come near her again….I won't be the only one you'll have to deal with, and I don't think you want to piss either of us off….but especially him," Kankurou said, and immediately they all knew who he was talking about. The puppet master was frightening all on his own, but the thought of him paired with the monster of Suna was just horrifying.

"Fine…" the boy said, and they all rushed away.

"Thanks Kuro….I needed that one," she said sighing loudly. He smiled at his rarely used nickname.

"No probs sis. Those boys aren't even good enough to wipe your ass," he said, earning a smack on the head. He laughed.

"Do you have to be disgusting all the time?" she asked, glaring at him. He just nodded, and they walked away together to some food stand for dinner.

Ice Cream Stand

Gaara and Shia walked through the festival with the ice cream they'd just purchased. They sat down on a bench, and the redhead took a taste of his first ice cream. Being raised the way he was, he was never allowed sweets. It was deliciously cold, and tasted heavenly. He turned to Shia, who was eating hers happily and smiling.

"Do you like it?" she asked before taking another lick of her own. He found his eyes following her tongue for a minute. 'Why does that make me sweaty?' he thought confused.

"Gaara?" he heard, and he snapped his attention to her smiling face. He nodded, licking his ice cream once again.

"I knew you would. No one can resist ice cream…I mean…especially if you live in the desert," she said, going back to her treat. He watched her again, remembering what Temari had said about kissing.

(Flashback)

"Well….kissing is always fun. Though…first kisses are either really good, or really messed up. How do I explain this to you? Um…well, first you press you lips against the other person's, and it feels kind of like you're floating. Sometimes the other person will use their tongue, which despite how gross it sounds, is actually really good. The best way to learn how to kiss, is to actually do it. Usually your instincts are enough to pick things up fast," the blond explained, looking slightly uncomfortable.

(end flashback)

Gaara wondered what that must feel like. He knew no one would ever let him do that to them. No girl had guts enough to even look at him without running away, let alone let him latch himself to their mouths. No one except Shia. He wanted to know what it felt like. 'Maybe…she would…' but he brushed the thought away. They were just friends, and he'd only just gotten comfortable hugging her, he couldn't do that. Who knows if she'd even let him?

"Gaara?" he heard again, he snapped out of his thoughts again, and looked at her navy eyes. She looked worried.

"Is there something wrong? You seem a little out of it. Do you want to go home?" she asked, he thought for a moment. Yea…actually, he did want to go home. But he didn't want to leave her by herself.

"It's okay…I know you do, I'm kind of tired anyways. I'm sure Kankurou and Temari can find their way back on their own. Let's go," she said, rising and looking at him expectantly.

"I'm fine," he said, but she just shook her head.

"Well, I'm tired. Could you walk me back to the house then?" she asked and he nodded, silently grateful. He'd had enough of people today.

They walked in silence, and he was vaguely aware of her arm hooked in his. She seemed to be losing her battle with sleep, so he braced himself to catch her should the need arise. For a moment, she stopped, and he thought she had just dropped something. When she didn't move for several seconds, he looked up to see her smiling at him. His eyes widened slightly, and he sent her a confused look.

"I..I just wanted to thank you for winning me these earrings. They're really nice," she said, gesturing towards the small sterling silver earrings molded into the Sunagakure symbol in her ears. He nodded again as she reached up to touch one.

"I had a really good time tonight. It was one of the best birthday's ever!" she said, smiling broadly and causing his heart to thump in his chest. It never ceased to amaze him how much she smiled around him.

"Thank you," she said almost too softly, but he heard, and allowed a tiny smile to grace his features. Her navy eyes widened in surprise as she smiled back at him. 'He should smile more often,' she thought briefly.

"Hey girlie…is that bastard bothering you?" said a voice from behind them. Shia's head whipped around to see a tall boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin. He was surrounded by a group of thuggish cronies.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she said stalking up to them angrily. The boy moved closer, and Gaara watched him with suspicious eyes from where he stood.

"I'm Kenji…whatcha doin out here all alone with That?" he asked, Shia's eyes narrowed in anger.

"I was just going home. Now leave before you get hurt," she said evenly, glaring into the snarky kid's face fiercely. He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, examining her face.

"You're pretty cute…why are you hangin out with him…oh," he said, eyes falling on her Konoha headband, "You're a foreign girl are you? I've always liked kunoichi," he said. She continued glaring.

"Well, let me tell you something girlie…around here it ain't safe to be hangin out with that kid over there. You see….he's a murderer. Seen it with my own eyes. He can kill without even batting an eyelash. Killed his own mother he did, his uncle too. Is that the kind of person you want to hang out with, a murderer?" he asked, and her eyes went wide.

Had Gaara really done all those things? It's not like she couldn't see it happening, but she was determined not to pass judgment without knowing the full story. There had to be a reason. She couldn't actually believe this kid over someone she considered a friend.

"If you say one more word about him, I swear…." she growled out, grasping his wrist with her left hand tightly.

"Oh? What will you do kunoichi? You wouldn't want to start a war over that monster would you?" he asked. SMACK! sizzle….sizzle

Gaara watched as the tall boy was thrown at least ten feet away. The bastard groaned in pain, clutching the right side of his face and trembling. Wide aqua eyes shot over to Shia who was breathing in angry heavy pants. The other boys stared at her with frightened eyes. He could feel it from where he was standing. She was pissed.

"You bitch!" the boy growled out, labouredly dragging himself up from the floor, still clutching his face in agony.

"Oh Kami!" one boy exclaimed.

"What did you do to him?!" another cried out looking from his friend to her fearfully.

"Kenji! We should go to the hospital now!" the one closest to him said, grabbing his friend by the forearm and dragging him away. Gaara didn't move, his eyes flickered over Shia's angry form, and only then did he see that her hand was smoking. 'She didn't…'

"Shia…" he called quietly. She turned to him and smiled.

"I'm sorry. He shouldn't have said that to you. I can tell you right now none of the medics in that hospital will be able to heal him," she said, falling back into step with the her redheaded friend.

"Hn?" he said, he heard her chuckle darkly as they started up the stairs to the house.

"That burn will be too difficult for them to heal," she said, smirking in an evil way he'd never thought possible. It disappeared, however, when they both sat down in the living room.

"Will you heal it?" he asked, not really caring whether she decided to or not. She giggled.

"Yea, but I'm going to make him apologize first. No one messes with my friends and gets away with it. I've still got two more days here to make him work for it," she said, and he stomach twisted a little bit. She was going to make him apologize? Would he?

"Hn.." he said as she turned on the television to some girly romance movie.

"Oh…I love this movie! See, Tenichi is in love with Saiyo, but she loves his older brother Senko….." he stopped listening there. Knowing he'd be confused in the end, he just nodded his head, and grunted occasionally, pretending to listen.

He dazed into his own world when she'd finished talking and turned her attention to the TV screen. His thoughts from earlier were coming back to him. Kissing…he knew he'd never have a chance to do that with anyone…unless…. 'But would she?' he thought.

(Who cares? You're acting like a kid for god's sake. Just stop already and let me kill her!) Shukaku roared.

'In case you haven't realized…I'm thirteen! Would it be so horrible for me to act my age once and a while?! I've never been allowed happiness! I've never been allowed to act my age! I've always had to avoid death…or kill to make people acknowledge me. And it's all because of you! I don't have to do either anymore, because of my family…because of Shia…because of Uzumaki Naruto! You'd best stop wasting your breath, because I refuse to use your power! I won't be listening to you anymore!' he thought back, and shoved the demon away.

He looked back to his friend, who was watching the TV with wide interested eyes. The lights were off and the only light came from the television. Why girls liked this depressing, dramatic, romance stuff…he'd never understand. She looked like she was about to cry for the main character.

"Shia…" her navy eyes turned toward him with a faint glow from the TV lighting their depths.

"What's wrong?" she asked, laying hand on his forearm. He hesitated for a moment, eyes fixed on her mouth. What if this ruined their friendship? He just wanted to know what it felt like. To kiss someone. He felt that she'd be the only one open to it. That she'd be kind enough to do that for him.

"I…wanted to ask you something," he said, fighting his the blush from his face.

"Sure…anything," she said, smiling at him friendly. He swallowed.

"Well…have you ever…uh.." he stumbled uncharacteristically. Why couldn't he just ask? He was Sabaku no Gaara. This shouldn't be so hard.

"What?" she encouraged. He took a breath and braced himself. He threw up his impassive face, and made his voice devoid of emotion.

"Have you ever kissed someone?" he asked evenly. Shia blushed, and thanked the gods the lights were off. Well…no matter how unexpected…she guessed she could answer.

"Um…yea…once," she said softly, looking away embarrassed.

"What was it like?" he asked, and she snapped her eyes back to him. He looked genuinely interested.

"Um…I don't know. I can't really explain it…it was…it felt nice," she said, knowing her face was as red as his hair.

"Oh…" he said, still looking confused. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I wish I could…but I just can't explain it…" she said. He was silent for a few moments. It looked like he was battling himself for a minute.

"Could you…..show me?" he asked, and she gasped. It's not that she hadn't thought about kissing him. She was only a thirteen year old hormonal human female…it's only natural. However, they were only friends, and she didn't want to kiss him and make it awkward. Especially because she wasn't sure she felt that way about him, and he didn't exactly understand emotions enough to tell if he did.

"Gaara?" was all she could say.

"It's okay…I mean…if you don't want to I understand. It's just, I had to ask, because…" he trailed off, not wanting to reveal too much.

Shia got the idea though. He didn't think he'd be able to do it with anyone else. No one else would get close enough to him to even be his friend. 'I guess it couldn't hurt. I mean…I guess I'm flattered that he wants me to show him,' she thought. She reached her right hand out and cupped his cheek. It was smooth and warm against her hand, and she trailed her fingers along the side of his face to his chin.

Gaara felt the heat of her small palm against his face, and her soft gentle fingers slid over it to tuck under his chin. He looked at her, and her navy eyes were staring right into his mint ones. He understood her question, and nodded that he was ready. Her fingers drew his face nearer to hers, and he saw her dark eyes fix on his lips. The pad of her thumb brushed over them, but was soon replaced by her own soft lips.

She glided hers slowly across his, afraid to move to fast. She didn't want to confuse him. She wanted him to have a proper kiss. It was his first after all, the least she could do is make it good. She moved her body closer to his and rested her left hand against his chest, pushing him to relax against the back of the couch.

Shia's mouth was pressed firmly against his, and he felt his heart hammering his chest fast. His stomach did flip after flip, and his intestines twisted aggressively inside of him. He felt her hand move from his chin to brush aside his messy red bangs, and her warm fingers traced the kanji on his forehead. He slid his aqua eyes closed, confused when her lips left his. Gaara felt the warm heat of her mouth brush over the scar, he let out a shuddering breath suppressing years of depression.

The medic continued down, placing tender kisses on his brow…both blackened eyelids, his nose, and then his lips again. He felt like he wanted to cry, but what confused him was that he was not sad. He was really happy being showered in loving kisses, even if she was not in love with him. He wasn't used to so much attention, so much gentleness…such caring touches and caresses. The hand on his chest slid up over his shoulder, cupping the back of his neck, and toying with the soft wisps of red hair there.

Her other hand wove into his fiery hair, and he felt her mouth open over his. Shia's hot tongue ran over his full bottom lip, and she angled her head for better access. Gaara took in a shaky breath and his mouth was invaded by said wet appendage. He felt her teeth graze his lower lip, and her tongue caressed every inch of his mouth in a tender, yet curious way. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to kiss a girl, but he didn't want to just sit there.

The redhead opened his mouth, tilting his head to the side, and wrapping his arms around her waist. He reciprocated her movements, varying them slightly so that he wasn't mirroring her every movement. This might be the only chance he'd get to do this, and if she was open to it…he'd make the best of it. He met her tongue with his, and stroked it into submission.

A soft whimper left her mouth, and a stab of heat hit his lower abdomen. He wanted to hear her do it again, so he sucked her full, petal soft lip into his mouth and nipped at it like she hand done him. This time a low moan escaped her, and he suddenly understood why 'sound' could play a role in arousal. They were addicting these sounds she was making, but he'd only wanted to know what kissing someone felt like. He didn't want to push her too far. Shukaku was currently ranting perverted things in his mind, and he knew he should stop for her own safety. He broke the kiss, and drew back. She let out a disappointed whine, and he took a deep breath to calm his boiling blood.

It was silent for some time, but finally he had calmed himself enough to open his eyes. Shia still had her navy eyes closed, and her hand was braced against his chest to steady her. When her lids lifted her dark eyes glinted with something that was oddly exciting. He forced himself to remain calm…happy that he'd gotten the chance to experience something like that.

"Arigato," he whispered, and her eyes went wide.

"Uh..no problem…I'm glad you chose me as your first," she said.

"Well, I don't think anyone else would ever…" he trailed off. 'Of course…it was just a kiss between friends. I was only helping him out as a friend, because he really thinks no one would ever want to. That's all….damn hormones!' she thought.

"Well, I guess I'm going to go bed then. Goodnight Gaara-kun," she said, and almost slapped herself for letting it slip. He looked surprised for a second, but in an instant his usual mask was back up.

"Sleep well," he said, rising and moving towards his room. Shia walked to her room, flopped on her bed, and finally let sleep take her.

(Two days later: Shia's Departure)

"I can't believe you're leaving," Temari said pouting. Shia chuckled.

"I know…I'm going to miss you all so much," she said, eyes traveling over the three Sand Siblings.

"Well, say hi to everyone in Konoha for me," the blond said, stepping forward and hugging the younger girl tightly.

"By everyone do you mean Nara?" Kankurou asked smirking. Temari glared as she stepped back from Shia.

"Just say goodbye to her you baka!" she snapped. He cackled and grabbed Shia in a strong grip.

"Ug…try not togasp break any bones!" the medic choked out causing him to laugh some more. He released her and watched her gasp for air with an amused expression. Shia, when she'd started to breath properly, turned her attention towards Gaara.

"Well…I guess this is goodbye. It's been fun!" she chirped, attaching herself to his waist. He really didn't want her to go. She'd been his first friend, and now he wasn't even sure if he'd ever see her again.

"I'll write to you I promise," she mumbled into his chest, and he found himself winding his arms around her. When they broke apart, she looked up at him with glittering navy eyes and smiled brilliantly at him. Gaara found himself allowing that small smile he'd developed grace his face.

"Well, goodbye then," she called, looking at them all once again, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she disappeared into the carriage. The Sabaku Family watched it fade into the distance of the vast desert before turning and starting back to their home. Yes…their home…

(Some months later)

Gaara sat looking at the most recent letter he'd received from his friend. He'd gotten many others, since Shia wrote every week, but the two right before this one had the most interesting information in them. Apparently she'd passed the Chuunin Exam, and the Medic Exam. At least according to those two letters she had. He hadn't responded to either of them, mostly because he didn't know how. Shia didn't seem to care though, she just kept writing. This most recent one, however, he could just feel the sadness.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Gaara-kun,

My grandfather died today. Everything's gone chaotic recently. Grandmother is depressed, the Clan Council is telling me to start preparing for the Inheritance Test. Grandmother and Grandfather have been together since they were seventeen. Hokage-sama says that couples like that are often really close…too close almost. Once a partner dies, the other follows not too shortly afterwards. I think grandmother will last until she thinks I'm prepared to head the Clan.

I had wanted to come and visit you, especially after that fight I heard you had gotten into on behalf of your student. I missed you at the hospital, but my Clan has had me studying the Akito Scrolls a lot lately. Grandfather's been ill for a while. I don't know when I'll be able to see you all again. Give my love to Temari and Kankurou. I hope you're doing well.

Akito Shia'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

He stared at the letter for a moment, and this time he knew he should reply. She was in pain, and friends help friends when they're in trouble. He got a pen and a blank scroll and started to write his response. He explained that he was fine, offered his family's condolences, and wrote some comforting words down. Gaara went into an explanation of the fight to save Matsuri…his first and only student. He told of how Shukaku had almost won control, but he beat him back, and used his own power. How Naruto had called him his 'precious comrade' and all but killed himself to back the redhead up. How the pink haired girl known as, Haruno Sakura, had forgiven him for his past sins against her, and used her power to heal him. When he was finished, he marveled at how simple it had been to write a whole page. He attached it to the little dove they were using to communicate, and watched it fly away.


	16. Letters

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: on to the next chapter!

Chapter 15

For another month Shia wrote, and Gaara responded. It was nice, knowing that somewhere out there, someone was thinking of him. She came to him for advice often in her letters. Mostly about whether he thought she could lead her Clan or not. Which he did of course. She had great leadership qualities. He sat staring at some of the letters she'd sent him in the past month, wondering how they'd gone from attempted homicide, to close friends. This last letter, however, had him a little worried.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Gaara-kun,

I'm so happy we've gotten to be such good friends. I can't imagine how strong you must be now, has it been so long already? I'm sorry I couldn't come visit you. I've been so busy with Clan stuff. You know, everyone's getting ready to train for a while. Tsunade-sama says that all the shinobi of the village have to step up their game in the next two years because something big is coming. I myself will be training for the Jounin exam and the Inheritance Test.

I won't be able to write for a while. Two years in fact. I'll be isolated for this time in my family's sacred training dojo. Grandmother will be training me. She says she hasn't much time to live, and she wants me to be ready to take my place as the head of the Clan. I might be able to get a letter out…hopefully, if I can I assure you I will. Please say hi to your siblings for me, and tell them I miss them. Maybe I'll come see you all after my training is through.

Akito Shia'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Gaara stared at the letter once more, happy for his friend, but sad at the same time because he knew he wouldn't be getting a letter for some time. It'd become almost routine at dinner time. Temari would sort through the mail and hand him his weekly 'Shia Letter'. He'd miss it sorely, though, it's not like he'd have time to write her much either. He was going to seclude himself into some tough training too. For his dreams.

(flash back)

Gaara was standing on the cliff side watching as the sunset paint the world in vibrant oranges and yellows. His brother was behind him, trying to convince him not to leave their three man cell. Saying that doing so would only be harder on him. But…he had to…he had to do it. If he wanted to be accepted, he'd have to work at it.

"I want to work hard so that others will accept my existence," Gaara said, staring off into the desert sunset.

"That's what I thought when I looked at Uzumaki Naruto. Up until now, my bonds with others have only been ones of hatred and murder….but seeing him fight so hard made me wonder what a bond really is," he explained, wanting his brother to understand.

"I think I understand a little now….Suffering…sadness…and joy. To be able to share that with another person…" he stared off the ledge of the cliff at his village that seemed microscopic against the grand scope of the beautiful desert.

"When I fought him, I feel like that is what he taught me. He experienced the same suffering as I…and he taught me that you can change how you live your life…" Gaara said, breathing in the scent of the desert.

"Someday, I want my existence to be necessary to others….not as a weapon to be feared…" he turned and smiled sadly at his baffled, yet supportive looking brother, "…but as Sunagakure's Kazekage," he finished.

(end flashback)

Gaara took out his pen and a scroll to begin his final letter to Shia for two years. He knew he could do it. He'd work hard. He'd show the council how worthy he was for their acknowledgment, and eventually he'd lead them. Gaara wanted to live his life protecting the people who'd always feared and shunned him. He would show them that he could be more than just a monster…more than just Shukaku's host. He would be Kazekage.

Akito Complex

"Shia-sama…you have a letter," a servant said from her doorway. The young girl looked over and nodded her permission for the maid to enter.

"Thank you, would you go check on Baasan for me?" she asked, knowing that this was the last letter from her friend in Sunagakure she'd be receiving for a long time.

Two years seemed like such a long time to her. She'd be isolated from everyone but her grandmother, training all day until she couldn't move anymore. She untied the small scroll from the dove's tiny leg and opened it to reveal Gaara's handwriting.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia,

We all miss you here as well, and my siblings send their hellos, plus their best wishes for your training. I myself will be going into some tough training….so I guess it's not so bad that this is coming up now. I won't be able to write at all for a while. I'm not sure how long yet. I guess until I think I've gotten to my goal. I hope you do well, and I think you will make a great Head of your Clan.

I'm sure all of us would love you to come see us when you've finished. I guess this is the last time we'll communicate for two years…so I just wanted to say something to you. Thank you…for everything…and please tell Naruto the same. I guess I'll talk to you in two years.

Sabaku no Gaara'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

She smiled down at the letter. 'I guess everyone is working hard for these next two years,' she thought. She folded it up, and put it in the box with the rest of the letters she'd received from him. Today was the day she'd be taken to the Akito Dojo, and she wanted to say goodbye to her friends before hand. She got ready, and headed out to the training fields where she knew Naruto and Sakura were sparring.

Training Field 3

"I win!" a loud voice yelled as a hyperactive blond bounced vibrantly around in a victory dance.

"You put up a good fight Sakura-chan," Tenten said from the crowd of bystanders. Hinata nodded, and blushed when Naruto ran up to her smiling widely.

"Did you see Hinata-chan!" he asked, she nodded and giggled a little bit.

"Well guys, I've got to go see Tsunade-sama for training," Sakura said, wiping her face down with a towel.

"Okay Sakura-chan! Do your best!" Naruto smiled.

"Yes Sakura-san! Let the flames of youth guide you!" Lee said, striking his good guy pose. She laughed.

"Thanks guys, well, see ya later!" she said, turning to leave. The others waved, shouting goodbyes and see you laters.

"Sakura-chan! Wait!" a breathless female voice cried from behind them. All turned to see Shia running towards them with her hand waving furiously.

"OI! Shia-chan!" Naruto screamed, tackling her in one of his bone crushing hugs. She sputtered for air.

"N..naruto-kun…I…I think your…choking..h..her," Hinata stuttered. His sky blue eyes widened, and he let go.

"Maa…sorry Shia-chan," he said, scratching the back of his head and smiling dweebily.

"Hey Shia-chan, what's the matter? I kinda have to go. Tsunade-sama hates it when I'm late," Sakura said, frowning. Shia jogged up to her friend.

"I just wanted to see you to say goodbye. See, I won't be allowed out of the Akito Complex for a while. Baasan will be training me at the Akito Dojo for about two years," the girl said.

"Oh…wow! Well then I guess this is goodbye for a while. Good luck! Hokage-sama is actually doing something similar for me and Ino-pig. We'll be allowed in the village of course, but most of our time will be spent training," Sakura explained. Shia smiled at her pink haired friend.

"Well, do your best! I know you'll come back strong Sakura," she said. The pinkette smiled.

"I promise. I'll never be the one who has to be protected again," she vowed, bright green eyes growing determined.

"I believe in you. I'm sure we all do," Shia said, earning nods from the circle of onlookers. Sakura grinned, and threw a quick goodbye towards them before leaving. The brunette girl then turned towards her other friends.

"Let's all go out for ramen…my treat!" she said, turning towards the direction of Ichiraku's. A blond blur rushed past her, nearly knocking her off her feet. She giggled, and they all followed at a much slower pace of course.

Sunagakure Gates

"Gaara…are you sure about this?" Temari asked, worry evident in her voice. He nodded.

"He'll be fine Temari…" Kankurou said, but inside he was worried too.

Gaara had decided to train in the desert. It was fitting of course, since he controlled sand, but the thing that had them worried was that he'd decided to go alone. He'd been on a regular squad for about six months, and their success rate was impeccable. Now, he'd decided to train under harsh conditions to strengthen not only his ninjutsu, but his body and mind as well. Both siblings were worried, but who wouldn't be when their baby brother is going off to live in the desert for two years?

"You shouldn't worry. Worry about yourselves for now. I assure you I'll be fine. Temari, you're just a hair away from being promoted to Jounin…you too Kankurou. Keep training and getting stronger. When I return…I will become Kazekage…that much I can promise you. I am going to make sure I'm so strong…and so in control…that the council will have no better option," he said, and both smiled at him.

"I know you can do it Gaara. You're already stronger than most of the Jounin here," Temari said, rushing forward to hug him tightly. Kankurou slapped a hand on his back.

"We'll see you….Kazekage-sama," he said as Gaara pulled free of his sister. He threw one last wave behind him, and then they watched him disappear into the vast desert.

Ichiraku

"Well, it's about time I got home. I guess this is goodbye girls," Shia said, turning to Hinata and Tenten. They shared a very girlie group hug.

"Good luck Shia," Tenten said pulling away.

"Yes, good luck…a..and g…goodbye," Hinata said doing the same.

"Bye Shia-chan!" Lee and Naruto both shouted, crushing her together.

"Gah!…if you g…guys gasp keep huggingpant me like this…I won'tchoke be able to train," she managed. They immediately withdrew.

"Sorry…we'll just miss you," Lee said, and she smiled at him.

"Yea Shia-chan…I guess I'll see you in two years, or something like that. I'm leaving in like a week to go with Ero-sennin to train. I'll be back within a week or two of you," he said.

"Good luck Naruto-kun. You'll come back stronger than ever I know," she said. He smiled that impossible smile, and she chuckled.

"Oh! Before I forget…Gaara-kun sent me a letter today asking to tell you thank you for him," she said. Naruto's shining blue eyes filled with confusion.

"Why would he wanna thank me?" he asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy. 'Dense' everyone else thought together.

"You're a good friend," she said, in a simple explanation, and he seemed to get it.

After saying her final goodbyes to all of her friends, Shia turned to go home. She made her way through the Akito Complex to her grandmother's room. They walked together to the dojo. Shia took one last look at the gates to the Akito Complex, and turned into the dojo to start her training.


	17. Two Years Later

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: well here we go. This chapter will take place after the time skip!

Chapter 16

#TWO YEARS LATER#

Gaara stared down at the letter that had been received about two weeks before he'd finally returned from the desert. Temari had been ecstatic at his return. He was pretty sure her hug caused his ribs to puncture a hole in his lung. Kankurou had taken him out for sake, despite the fact he wasn't old enough to drink. He'd received the letter around dinner time. For two years he battled the desert elements, and now he was stronger than ever. He'd appealed to the Council, and they had given them their final decision. The redhead looked down at his letter and read it to himself as Temari prepared some kind of instant food.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Gaara-kun,

Time is almost up for me in this training. It's been tough, and I definitely thought I was going to die a few times, but I made it. Grandmother is becoming too ill to train me anymore, but I think that I've become stronger than I have ever been. She says I am ready to inherit the Clan. I'm a Jounin now, along with Hyuuga Neji. My Clan is preparing the supplies needed for the Inheritance Test.

I hope you are well, and I know you're probably as strong as a god by now. I hope to see you soon. I wonder…have you grown taller? I have. I can't imagine how pretty your sister must be by now. She'll be 18 right? Tell Temari and Kankurou I said hi. I'm sure they must be Jounin by now, or ANBU even! I should be out of here in two weeks. Write me back as soon as you can! I can't wait to hear from you. I've missed you. Send some pictures if you can.

With Love, Akito Shia'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

He got out his pen and paper to scribble a reply. He described vaguely his training, and that his siblings and himself were indeed all Jounin. He didn't want to explain anything about the Kazekage situation, because he didn't want to jinx it. Gaara quickly searched for some pictures, finding only pictures of his siblings since he'd been gone for the past two years. He scribbled an apology for the lack of pictures of himself, and an explanation. The redhead then rolled it up, and attached it to the dove's foot. It'd been two weeks since he'd received the letter. She should be out by now.

Akito Complex Gates

A fifteen year old, brunette Jounin emerged into Konohagakure for the first time in two years. She wore her tight black, flame retardant combat suit that hugged her well formed slender curves, with a long white skirt tied around her waist. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail that hung just below her shoulder blades. She'd grown a couple of inches, standing at an average 5'4", and she was on her way to the Hokage building.

"Sh..Shia-chan?" a quiet voice said from behind her. The medic turned to see Hyuuga Hinata looking at her with wide eyes.

"Hinata-chan!" she cried out, lunging at her friend and squeezing her in a hug.

"Shia-chan! I..I haven't s..seen you in so long," the shy Hyuuga said, hugging back.

They broke apart, and Shia took a good look at her friend. Hinata had grown as well, and stood almost as tall as she did. The Hyuuga heiress had allowed her hair to grow long. It fell in silken raven strands to her waist. She still had a sweater covering her body, but Shia could see that the girl's curvaceous figure was no longer coverable. Shia would kill for curves like that, she was more slender with little curves here and there. Her breasts were a full b-cup, but Hinata seemed to be sporting 'Shinobi's Illustrated' worthy humps.

"How've you been Hinata-chan?" she asked. Hinata smiled happily.

"I've been working hard with Neji-niisan, and my father to get stronger," she said, and Shia could feel that she had. Hinata's presence was much stronger now.

"Has Naruto-kun returned yet?" the medic asked. Hinata shook her head sadly.

"I wish he would return soon though. We all miss him," the shy Hyuuga said. Shia translated it to 'I wish he would return soon so I can impress him with how strong I've gotten.'

"Where are you headed then Shia-chan?" Hinata asked. Shia's navy blue eyes turned to her friend, and Hinata thought they may have become an even deeper shade of blue since she'd seen her last.

"I'm headed to Tsunade-sama's office to report my training, and receive some letter or something," Shia said as they continued on their way to the Hokage Complex.

"Oh! Me too… Team Eight, Tenten, Lee-san, Neji-niisan are leaving on a mission tonight. Kiba and Shino already left for Tsunade-sama's office, but I had to get a few things ready," she explained. Shia nodded as they started up the long staircase to the Hokage's office. Once they made it to those huge doors, Hinata rapped softly with her fist.

"Enter!" a sharp voice called from inside.

Both girls entered quickly. At the desk in the front center of the room sat Tsunade-sama looking as beautiful as ever, and not a day older. In front of her stood five young shinobi awaiting orders. Kiba and Shino didn't look much different. Kiba still looked life a wolfish guy, and Shino was as mysterious as usual. Tenten looked older, and she'd filled out some. Her pretty brown eyes glittered with joy upon seeing Shia. Hyuuga Neji looked handsome as sin, taller, and with an even stronger presence.

"Sorry I'm late Hokage-sama. I had to inform my father of my mission," Hinata said bowing her head respectfully. Shia inclined her body also, and smiled around the room upon rising.

"I'll just wait outside until you're done," she said, walking towards the door.

"No need Shia…I've already given Neji the mission scroll. They'll be leaving to get ready now," the Hokage said, effectively dismissing the others. All of them left quietly. Kiba threw her a little wave, while Shino and Neji just inclined their heads politely.

"We'll be at the tea shop. Come meet us after you've finished here," Tenten whispered as she walked out. When all others had left, Shia approached the female Sannin.

"Well, let's get this little meeting started shall we?" Tsunade said, smiling a little through her obvious exhaustion. Shia nodded.

"You've completed your training, and passed the Jounin exam. I'm sure your Clan must be proud. What else should I know?" the blond woman asked. The brunette took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's large desk.

"The Akito Clan plans to administer the Inheritance Test upon my grandmother's death. They will name me Head of the Clan, and I will be expected to marry within six months of ascending to said title," Shia said, obviously not too happy about that last stipulation.

"I see…and they don't think you are too young?" Tsunade asked, clearly thinking so.

"The Clan Council has decided that at my age it would be beneficial to have a second opinion on all of my decisions. Therefore, they wish me to marry. Of course he will have to be high status, and politically aware," Shia said, seeming bored with such details.

"I understand. For your own sake, I as Hokage, will attempt to stall this pressure of marriage for as long as I can. Having the weight of an entire Clan on your shoulders will be tough enough at your age, adding a marriage into the mix will only complicate things for you," the blond explained, and the younger girl smiled gratefully.

"Thank you so much, Hokage-sama," Shia said, bowing her head.

"Now…on to the next order of business. I have received a letter from Sunagakure in regards to the inauguration of the Godaime Kazekage," Tsunade started, getting straight to business. Shia tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't see what that has to do with me," she said quietly. Tsunade opened a scroll, and began to read it out loud.

"Akito Shia, you are formally invited to participate in the Inauguration Festival of Sunagakure's Godaime Kazekage. We wish for you to leave immediately upon receiving this information. Sabaku no Temari will be meeting you at the gates of Konohagakure, and will be your guide on your way here. You will be residing in the Sabaku household for your stay as requested by Sabaku no Temari, Sabaku no Kankurou, and Sabaku no Gaara. We ask that you consider being a part of this important occasion for our village. Elder Council, Sunagakure," the blond Hokage read.

Shia sat in complete bewilderment that the Elder Council of Sunagakure had just invited her to something so important. Why had the elders done it? Why hadn't the Sabaku family just sent her a letter or something?

"When I told your grandmother about this, she handed me another letter from Sunagakure from the Sabaku household," the Sannin said handing the young girl the letter.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Shia,

I am doing well. I've just returned from my training, and I think I've gotten stronger. Kankurou and Temari are indeed Jounin, good ones at that. Temari serves as a link between our two villages, and Kankurou will become the Kazekage's right hand man. I sent you some pictures of them. Unfortunately I couldn't find any recent ones of myself seeing as I've been away these past two years. You'll see me soon enough.

By now you should have received the council's invitation. It's really just an excuse for us to invite you out here, but you'll need that invitation to enter the village. Security triples whenever there's a festival that has to do with the Kazekage. Temari, Kankurou and I decided it would be the best time to get to see you. I'm sure you'd like a small vacation after such difficult training and the stress of your Inheritance Test. We have convinced your Hokage that it is a mission for you. As a way to strengthen bonds between our villages, you will come and help us with the preparations. Of course, there isn't much that hasn't been done, but Temari says that if we can get you a paid vacation, why not? We are looking forward to seeing you soon. I hope you are well.

Sabaku no Gaara'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Shia smiled down at the letter for a few moments. It'd been so long since she'd heard from him. It was wonderful to know they were all well, and that they'd all grown stronger substantially. She couldn't wait to see Temari's pretty face, or Kankurou's goofy looking smile. Or…Gaara…she couldn't wait to see how he might have changed. She was jostled out of her thoughts by the Hokage's voice.

"….will be leaving tonight after Temari-san has arrived to escort you. You're dismissed to go get ready," the blond said, waving a hand, and giving Shizune a look that said 'send in the next one.'

Shia walked out of the Hokage's office, and slowly through the corridors. She stopped when she saw Ino coming towards her. The blond had not changed too much. She'd let her hair grow out, and wore it as she used to in a long ponytail. She had gotten even more gorgeous, if that was possible.

"Ino!" Shia exclaimed. The blond looked up and squealed, abandoning whatever she'd been holding on the ground in favor of hugging her friend.

"Oh Kami! It's been forever! You look great!" Ino cried, releasing her and gathering what she'd dropped off the floor.

"So do you! What're you doing here?" the brunette asked, kneeling down to help.

"Oh, I'm just bringing this stupid paperwork to Tsunade-shishou," Ino said, and Shia gasped.

"You mean, you've been working under her too?" she asked. Ino smiled and giggled a little.

"Yea, I've gotten better, but…Billboard Brow has really grown," the blond answered, earning a chuckle.

"You two are still at it?" she asked.

"Yea, Miss Perfect Chakra Control is really good at this whole medical ninjutsu stuff! But I won't lose to her!" Ino said defiantly. Shia laughed.

"Well, would you know where Sakura-chan is right now?" she asked.

"She'd be at the hospital. She works there when she's not training," Ino answered adjusting the large stack of papers in her arms.

"Thanks!" Shia said.

"Well, I gotta go, it was nice seeing you. Maybe we can hang out soon," Ino said as she started away.

"As soon as I return from Sunagakure, we'll all have a big sleep over!" Shia called back, and Ino shouted back something that sounded like 'it's a date' before disappearing into Tsuande's office. Shia left the Hokage building to go searching for her best friend. 'I wonder how much she's changed…' she thought.

Sabaku Residence

"Well, I just got word from Temari. She just got to Konoha, and will be leaving with Shia tonight," Kankurou said, taking a seat at the table with his younger brother.

"It'll be nice to see her," Gaara said quietly, taking a sip of tea.

"Yea…so…what's for lunch?" Kankuro asked, and his little brother just looked at him for a few moments before answering.

"I ordered out. It should be here soon," he answered in his monotone. The puppet master's mouth fell open in shock.

"YOU! You mean…you actually talked to someone who's not me…to get them to order you food?" Kankurou asked, and the redhead nodded.

"Hn.." he said.

"Well, we'll have food at least," the brunette said, taking a sip of his tea.

There was a knock on the door, and the younger of the two got up to go answer it. 'He's really changed,' Kankurou thought happily. And so he had…Gaara was no longer afraid of the hatred from the villagers. He treated them politely, and he only held raw determination to change their minds, where there had once been hatred. When the redhead returned they ate their food in silence.

Konoha Tea Shop

"Sakura-chan…I have to say you've changed quite a lot," Shia complimented.

"Thanks…it seems like you've gotten stronger as well. A Jounin?" the pinkette asked. Shia nodded.

"Yea, I'll soon be locked away in the Akito Complex serving as their leader, and married to some bum I don't even love," Shia said in a not so happy tone. Sakura sighed.

"I'm sure you'll make a great leader Shia-chan," Hinata piped in.

"Yea, and we'll all pray he isn't too hideous," Tenten giggled, trying to lighten the mood. Shia smiled.

"Whadya mean married?! You're like…fifteen!" Kiba cried out in confusion.

"It's in the Clan laws or something. Since I'm so young, they think it best if I had someone to help me make decisions," she explained.

"That's stupid," he huffed, not understanding at all.

"I agree, I hardly see how a marriage could do anything but complicate things and make them bothersome," Shikamaru added in. Shia sighed.

"I have no choice. I have to do it. Sacrifices will have to be made. For my clan," she said.

"I understand how your Clan would think so. However, they are missing a vital point. Having the weight of an entire Clan on one's shoulders is stressful enough on someone as young as you are. To have the added stress of a loveless marriage added on doesn't help at all," Neji said intelligently.

"Well, who knows…maybe we will fall in love. I'm prepared to make sacrifices for my Clan's better interests," She said. Her friends silently respected her.

"That is what will make you a good leader Shia…but…not all sacrifices are worth making Shia…some people have sacrificed things they shouldn't have in the name of their clans," Sakrua said quietly, and all of them knew who she was talking about. 'So she's not over the Uchiha.'

"Well, I personally think it is very un-youthful for them to force such a thing on you!" cried Lee indignantly. Shia smiled at him.

"Thanks Lee-san," she said.

"Love…love is something that should never be sacrificed," Sakura said, looking teary.

For a moment everyone contemplated those words in silence. Lee tried to comfort the pinkette. Shia took another sip of her tea. 'She's still in love with the Uchiha, and it's still tearing her up inside. She's gotten so strong, I can feel it. Can love really be so destructive? I've never been, so I wouldn't know what it's like to love and lose like that…..Love….love is not a luxury I can afford anymore…' Shia thought to herself.

"Shia-chan!" a familiar voice cried from behind her.

The brunette whipped her head around to see Temari running towards them waving an arm furiously. She was taller, leaner, but also more filled out. She had the body of a woman. Her blond hair was still held back in the four pigtails, and she still had that enormous fan strapped to her back. When the blond finally made it to where they were all sitting, Shia saw that she had changed slightly. Her green eyes glittered happily…and it was wonderful to see. Instead of the usual mask of anger she hid behind.

"Wow…look at you! When did I give you permission to grow up?" Temari asked, in a sisterly tone. Shia laughed and threw her arms around the older girl.

"It's great to see you! You look amazing Temari-chan!" the medic said, eyes shimmering in her excitement.

"How've you been Shia-chan?" Temari asked, allowing herself to be guided into a seat next to the brunette girl.

"Great! A little stressed, but you guys really saved me this time," Shia said smiling. Temari laughed heartily, her entire face lighting up and her eyes becoming glowing pools of excitement. Shikamaru almost had to look twice. Was it possible for someone to change so much in just two years?

"Oi…you lazy bastard! No hello?" she called across the table to him, her eyes glaring at him like he remembered. 'Okay, so maybe she hasn't changed that much,' he thought.

"You didn't say hi to me either troublesome woman," he answered in his bored drawl. She smirked at him while the rest of the table just looked on with mirroring confused expressions.

"Well, I hate to break up this lovely party, but I've come to take Shia-chan away with me to Suna," the blond said, rising from her seat and signaling Shia to do the same.

"Oh! Now? But..I haven't.."

"We already had someone go grab your things, and they are on the way to Suna as we speak. We should get going if we want to make it there sooner than later," Temari explained. Shia nodded.

"Well I guess I'll see you all when I get back," she said, smiling and waving. They all said goodbye to her, and she turned her attention to her pink haired friend.

"You'll be okay Sakura. You're strong," she said, grabbing the girl in a hug.

"Thanks," said girl replied. They broke apart. Shia followed Temari towards the gates. They got into the carriage and took off toward Sunagakure. The medic's stomach fluttered excitedly in her body. She couldn't wait to see Kankurou and Gaara. 'I wonder how much they've changed…' she thought.

a/n: that's all folks. Until next time…please review!


	18. The Reunion

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 17

Gaara wondered if perhaps he should be cleaning or something. The house had seen better days, but cleaning was not something he was particularly good at. Shia would be arriving at dusk, and he wasn't sure exactly what he should be doing with himself until. Kankurou had left to watch the Gates a few hours ago, leaving Gaara to his lovely paperwork. The redhead stared down at the scroll, hoping to the gods that this wasn't the only thing he'd be committing his life to. KNOCK…. Grateful for the distraction, Gaara got up to answer the door. There stood Matsuri, bowing her head in respect.

"Is something the matter?" he asked. Her dark eyes met his.

"No Gaara-sama. I was told to report to you that Temari-san's carriage has been spotted on the horizon, and that it should be here a little after sunset," the Chuunin said. Of course she was at least a Chuunin…she was his student after all.

"Hn.." he answered. She bowed again.

"See you at training Gaara-sama," she said, smiling and turning away.

"Hn.." he said, and closed the door.

Walking back to the kitchen table where his paperwork was splayed beautifully about. He considered just leaving it there. A lot of things were running through his mind. The house wasn't clean enough, his sister was returning, he'd be seeing his best female friend for the first time in years, and he was about to become Kazekage of Sunagakure. He knew the paperwork needed sorting…and the house needed cleaning. He wondered if he should tell Shia about his becoming a Kage right away, or surprise her with it. In the end, he decided to leave the paperwork for later, in favor of straightening out the house.

Haruno Residence

It'd been about two days since Shia had left. Sakura was really worried about her friend. The Akito Heiress seemed convinced that she could sacrifice anything for her clan. She was willing to marry a man she did not love….maybe…could never love. She was giving in too easily. The pinkette respected her friend's determination to do what is best for her Clan…but…she couldn't sit back and let this happen again. She couldn't sit back and let someone sacrifice it all on something they most certainly could fight.

Sakura knew her shishou was not in favor of a forced marriage and had spoken her opinion to the Akito Elders. With the Hokage on their side, the green eyed girl was positive they could change that rule. No one should have to give up love….not for anything….especially at such a young age. Knock…knock…a soft, almost inaudible rap came against her front door. The pink haired girl rose to open it, and in the doorway stood Hyuuga Hinata smiling friendly at her.

"H..hi S..sakura-chan. I was wondering..i…if you wanted to come to the tea sh..shop with Tenten, Neji-niisan, and I this morning," the raven haired girl said quietly. Sakura smiled at the shy girl.

"Of course," she said grabbing her bag and shutting the door behind her.

They walked in silence to the tea shop where Tenten and Neji sat looking cozy. The thought struck her suddenly…that they would be a nice couple. She was already doing her best to get Naruto and Hinata together, but with the blond being away from the village for so long, and having such a thick head on top of that, it was difficult. She was due for a new project. Both ninja at the table looked up at them as they approached. Tenten waved her hand excitedly, while Neji nodded politely.

"Hey Sakura!" Tenten exclaimed, glad to see that the pink haired girl at least looked a little better.

"Hey Tenten, what brings you to the tea shop so early?" Sakura asked, looking from the weapons mistress to the white eyed boy.

"Oh! Neji thought it'd be a good idea for us to get some tea before we leave for our mission," Tenten said, lifting her glass and taking a sip.

A pink brow lifted at the statement, and a pair of light green eyes turned to the Hyuuga boy. He was as aloof as usual sipping his tea contentedly and looking off into space. Tenten was currently rambling on and on to Hinata, occasionally turning towards the older Hyuuga. When she did, he looked at her, acted interested, nodding and looking her in the eyes. Of course, what Tenten was talking about now…no man would be interested in. It was really just girlish gossip.

"So, what kind of mission is it Neji-san?" Sakura asked, and his piercing white eyes landed on her. She smiled sweetly, and earned a polite half-smile back.

"We're to go to Iwagakure and gather some information on Akatsuki. It seems that one of their members has been reported from there," he explained calmly.

"Who else is going?" she asked.

"Oh, no one else!" Tenten chirped, smiling cutely.

"Oh?" Sakura said, raising a brow towards the calm Hyuuga. He discreetly avoided her eyes.

"What Tenten means is…she and I will be going to Iwagakure while Gai-senpai and Lee-san go to Kirigakure to gather information. We are to meet up afterwards and return to Konoha," he explained, closing his pearly eyes and sipping at his tea.

'A mission alone…this is perfect. I'll just have to talk to Tenten before she goes. If I implant the idea that I think Neji likes her, maybe she'll try to find out for herself. They'd be really great together, and I know Hinata would be ecstatic to see her cousin so happy,' Sakura thought, matchmaking wheels turning in her head. Inner Sakura was mumbling something about how this was all just to get her mind off…certain things…but she ignored the evil bitch in her mind for once.

(Inner Sakura: "Hey! I'm not an evil bitch!")

Sabaku Residence

Shia walked behind Temari and Kankurou up the nostalgic staircase she hadn't seen in two years. Her stomach started flipping nervously in her abdomen. Why she was so nervous about seeing Gaara again was beyond her. He'd invited her here, had he not? He'd written her for almost a year, and made sure to contact her as soon as she'd come back from her training. 'Why won't my insides stop twisting around like that?!' she thought angrily.

"He's really been looking forward to seeing you," Temari said, causing the brunette's dark blue eyes to snap up at her.

"Well..of course he didn't tell us so much, but…he's been pretty anxious lately…or as anxious as you can imagine Gaara being," Kankurou added, causing a small smile to grace the medic's face.

"Gaara! We're home!" Kankurou called into the house as he opened the door.

They moved through the house, Temari immediately showing Shia to the Guest room. Kankurou continued to call Gaara's name throughout the house. He finally came to his younger brother's room, and thrashed the door open jovially. A frozen aqua glare greeted him, but he just smiled back at him.

"Shia's in the guest room unpacking now if you wanna see her," the brunette said smiling widely.

"Hn…" Gaara answered, rising and making his way past his obnoxious older brother.

Temari stood in the doorway of the guest room, feeling happy that Shia had finally returned. The girl had really grown up. She looked like a young woman now instead of the sweet, cute girl she remembered. Kind of like Gaara. He'd grown so much in the desert. He was taller, but still a hair shorter than both older siblings. He was so much stronger than he had been before he left. She hadn't given him permission to grow up either.

"Well, unpack your things and make yourself right at home," the blond said, placing the girl's suitcase by the closet.

"Yea, you can make yourself so at home here, that you can cook dinner for us tonight," Kankurou said, goofy grin set in place. 'I missed that ridiculous smile,' Shia thought to herself.

"Baka! She just got here and you're asking her to slave away on the stove already?!" Temari chastised, smacking him with her fan.

"ITAI!" he shouted, his hand massaging the sore spot.

"It's okay Temari-chan…I'll make dinner," Shia said, turning back to her suitcase.

"Are you sure?" Temari asked, feeling guilty that on her first night as their guest she'd be cooking.

"Yea…you know I don't mind. Besides I like cooking. I have no problem making dinner tonight," the brunette answered, taking a few shirts from the bag and arranging them inside the dresser.

"That won't be necessary. I already ordered out," a familiar monotone said from behind her.

She turned quickly, her chocolate hair swinging around to slap against her shoulder. She felt her heart flutter involuntarily in her chest. Gaara had grown, even if he was still shorter than both of his siblings, it wasn't by so much anymore. He was definitely a good four inches taller than her. His blood red hair seemed an even richer shade if possible, and his aqua eyes shined with something she'd never seen in them before. Happiness…even if it was buried beneath his normal mask…the fact that it showed at all made her warm a little inside. His aura was powerful…and she couldn't help but be proud. Shia smiled, brightly and happily….then…she launched herself at him full force.

Her body collided roughly with his, and he felt her arms squeeze him in a death grip. She was smiling up at him with so much happiness, and her deep blue eyes glistened excitedly at him. Gaara felt his heart thump hard against his chest. He'd forgotten how much he honestly liked the girl. She'd grown a little, and he could feel a little smugness surface in him because he was now taller than her. At least he was taller than someone. He could feel she'd gotten stronger…much stronger. She looked older as well he noticed. His eyes instinctively went down (a/n: hehe, because we all know that's where every guy looks first.) 'When did she grow those?' he thought briefly before pushing the thought violently out of his mind.

"It's so good to see you. Wow, you've grown so much. Ha! You're taller than me!" she said, looking up at him.

"Yea, I guess. You've grown as well," he said, forcing his fifteen year old male eyes to remain focused on her face.

See, Gaara really didn't come into contact with too many women that weren't related to him. He'd been away for two years…isolated in the desert. Before that, he'd never even bothered to go out of the house. When he turned fifteen, his body had started acting strange. He'd have irritating 'problems' if the wind blew the wrong way. He woke up sweaty and sticky in the middle of the night. Hell, he'd even caught himself daydreaming about some not so innocent things while he filled out paperwork sometimes. He may be Sabaku no Gaara, he may be Sunagakure's Godaime Kazekage, but he was still a fifteen year old male. At his age, most human males hit the peak of puberty. Most have girlfriends, plenty start having sex…but not him. This was the first female, excluding Temari, he'd been this close to since…well..she left the last time. Said female squeezed him tighter, and cuddled her head into his chest.

"I've missed you," she said softly, warm breath ghosting through the thin fabric of his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her lightly.

"Hn…" he answered, fully enjoying the feeling having her so close.

"Gaara! Shia! Food's here!" Temari shouted from someplace in the house. Both younger teens vaguely wondered when the two older ones had left.

They broke apart and the brunette girl giggled a little a bit. Her face lit up and her eyes glinted almost….lovingly he wanted to think, making his insides warm wonderfully. She'd gotten quite pretty and seemed to have….'matured' quite nicely. She untied the long white skirt from her waist and let it drop to the floor revealing the tight black suit that fit her like it was painted on. He immediately tore his eyes away, feeling guilty for checking out his friend.

"Um….Gaara-kun…I'll be out in just a bit. I just wanna change out of my combat suit into something more comfortable," she said, turning to him with a bashful smile. He felt heat rise to his face, and fought it with all his might.

"Of course," he murmured, walking out of the room calmly and heading towards the kitchen. Shia shut the door and peeled off her body suit. She felt dirty, and sweaty from spending the day in a carriage, so she decided to hop into the shower quickly. 'I'm sure they won't mind,' she thought as the hot water cascaded over her body.

The Kitchen

Temari brought the food into the dining room with some plates and utensils. It was good to have the medic back. It meant two things. One…Temari wouldn't have to do any cooking, and two…she wouldn't be the only girl in the house anymore. It also meant that Gaara would be a little less stressed out. Shia always seemed to calm him…even if she did rile him up first. The blond hadn't missed her baby brother's expression when the medic hurled herself into him. So…perhaps Shia's return meant a few things.

"Is that the first thing all girls do when they get somewhere? Take a shower?" Kankurou asked, breaking apart his chopsticks and digging into his dinner. Temari didn't even bother to scold him for his lack of manners. No amount of scolding would make them better. Perhaps he'd grow out of it. But…she doubted that very much.

"You'd feel grimy too if you spent the past two days traveling through the desert in a stuffy carriage," the blond snapped, starting at her own plate. Shia'd be at least a few minutes, and she figured the girl wouldn't care if they started without her.

"Yea, but the difference between guys and girls is…we wouldn't care," he said with a full mouth. Temari grimaced in disgust.

"No Kankurou…I think that's just you…" Gaara said quietly. The pigtailed teen looked over at her youngest brother for a minute. He'd just made a…

"AHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's great! HAHA! Good one Gaara!" Temari said gasping for breaths between her laughing. Kankurou pouted and Gaara smirked. They ate quietly for a few minutes, well, except for Temari's laughter of course.

"SHUT UP TEMARI-SLUT! WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" the puppet master screamed across the table. This only caused another fit of laughter from the oldest Sabaku.

"HAHAHA(GASP!) Y…(snort) you're face! HAHAHAHAHA!" Temari barely choked out.

"WHATEVER!" the brunette Jounin yelled, slamming his fists down on the table and standing up. Gaara sat back with an amused smirk glued to his face.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Temari laughed loudly.

"Maa…I'm just going to ignore you for now! You're lucky I'm hungry!" he pouted, sitting back down and starting on his food again. The blond continued to laugh her ass off as if no one else were in the room. Gaara knew it was mostly to piss off the middle Sabaku.

"Hey Gaara…" he looked up at his older brother, "Shia's been in the shower an awfully long time. Maybe you should go see if she's alright," Kankurou suggested.

"Yea, her snort dinner's gonna giggle get cold," Temari said, eyes sparkling with malicious laughter.

"Hai…" he sighed softly, and made his way to the guest room.

The shower was off, so he didn't exactly want to go in the room. He knew all too well what happens when Shia wears towels. They don't exactly stay on, or…she decides to get cuddly when she's half naked. NOT…what he needed. He rapped on the door softly.

"Nani?" he heard from inside.

"Are you finished?" he asked.

"Oh…hai! I'll be out in a minute. I just have to get dressed," she said, causing his stomach to lurch. He brushed the evil thoughts away blaming their presence on Kankurou, who by the way was quite the pervert, and made his way back to the dinner table. Shia followed shortly afterward.

"Sorry I took so long….I was covered in sand," Shia said as she walked in. She smiled around the room and took her seat next to Temari. The two girls started chatting away immediately.

"So how's Konoha?" Temari asked.

"It's good. Though, I only just came out of training when I was whisked away," she said.

"How're your friends there?" she asked, and Shia laughed.

"Stronger…all of them. All Chuunin except Hyuuga Neji and I. We're Jounin. I think he might go into ANBU," Shia said, knowing he'd be good for it.

"So…you and him…you know…together?" Temari asked, raising a brow. Gaara's ears pricked up at this for some reason.

"Ohh Gods no! N..not that he isn't a great guy…and he's absolutely gorgeous, but…I know Tenten likes him…and I'm pretty sure he likes her back. Neji and I really don't have that kind of chemistry," Shia rambled. Temari smirked.

"Oh?" she said.

"Not that I don't find him attractive because…I mean come on! What girl in her right mind wouldn't, but…Neji and I just don't have the kind of connection that's necessary to have a relationship. We're friends…kind of…but he and Tenten go back a long way together, and I'm sure that they'll end up together in the end," Shia explained.

"I see. So, is there anyone in your life right now? I mean…was there anyone waiting for you to come out of your training in Konoha? There's plenty to choose from," Temari pressed. Shia shook her head smiling slightly.

"I…I just haven't really had the time I guess. The Clan has been demanding, but I mean…I guess I will have somebody soon enough," the brunette said, eyes darkening sadly. Gaara looked over at his friend's suddenly melancholy face.

"What do you mean?" Temari asked, not liking the sound of it at all.

"Well…Baasan is very ill. She won't live much longer, and as soon as she dies, I will be tested, and named the Head of the Akito Clan. As per clan law…I must marry within six months of my ascending to this title," the girl explained. Her blue eyes looked saddened at the thought. Temari looked angry, and Kankurou was gaping in shock.

"B…but you're like…fifteen," Kankurou stuttered out incredulously. Shia smiled at him sadly, and Gaara felt his heart clench. He didn't like that smile, not at all.

"That's exactly why. They say that at my age, it would be beneficial to have a second in command to help me with my decisions," she said, chuckling bitterly.

"That's ridiculous! You're way too young! No way! Next time I'm in Konoha I'm going to give those Elders a piece of my mind!" Temari bit out angrily. She had this tendency to switch into protective mode when she felt one of hers was being threatened.

"No!" Shia exclaimed, surprising them all, "I am prepared to make sacrifices in order to protect my family…" she finished, and then it was silent. None of them really liked the sound of it. Really they didn't…but, who were they to tell her no? 'She's like a little sister to me damnit! Like hell I'm going to let her do something like this!' Temari thought angrily.

"Shia-chan! I know that you want to protect your family, but I think you're bending too soon. When you become head of the Clan, you tell them what to do! Who are they to force you to marry someone you don't love?!" Temari said in a raised voice. Shia took a deep breath to force back her tears.

"Love is not something I can afford to wait for. If it is what will make me a better leader, then I will do as they suggested. They are the Clan Elders, they are there to do what is best for the family. And..when I become their leader…that will also be my job," she explained.

"But..!"

"Temari…that's enough," Gaara interrupted. Temari shot him a heated glare.

"How can you say that? How can you just sit there and allow your friend to throw away so much?!" she snapped back at him. The redhead remained calm and blank faced.

"People will always do what they deem necessary to protect the ones that they love. If this is such a thing…there is nothing we can say to her that will change her mind," he explained softly, his piercing green eyes boring into Shia's soul. She felt her heart tighten painfully in her chest.

"If it makes you feel better Temari-chan…Hokage-sama has voiced her disapproval of this, and the Clan has agreed to let me meet all of the suitors before I choose who I will marry," she said. Temari calmed a little.

"Well…alright then. I guess that's a little better…silence… it looks like you've finished your dinner. I think you should get some rest tonight, because the festival starts tomorrow night. We'll need to go shopping," the blond said, collecting the empty plates.

"I thought I was here to help with preparations," Shia said, pushing thoughts of the unwanted marriage out of her head.

"You are…I'm going to model a few outfits for you and you are going to help me 'prepare' by telling me which one looks the best," Temari said, walking into the kitchen. Shia smiled and laughed a little bit.

"Then you'll be coming home to help Gaara decorate our house for the celebration," Kankurou said, and Shia turned her dark blue eyes onto the youngest Sabaku. He nodded, smiling a small smile, and rising from the table.

"I'll be retiring for the night," he said, walking towards the door, "Good night."

Shia watched him leave, feeling a little worried. He looked really strained. He seemed anxious and a little nervous. It wasn't like him. This was not a side of Gaara that Shia was used to seeing.

"Don't worry about him…he's just worried about his upcoming…promotion," Kankurou said, Shia gave him a confused look.

"Did he get into ANBU or something?" she asked, he smiled.

"Yea…that's it," he said, and left her to walk to her room confused. Shia plopped down on the bed, cleansed her mind, and fell into the darkness of dreamless sleep.

(The Next Day)

Gaara was currently cleaning his house from top to bottom. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing. However, since Temari and Kankurou were out, and he technically wasn't allowed to be seen until tonight, the first night of the festival, he knew he was the only one who was going to do it. He heard the door open and close at the front of the house, and felt the familiar chakra signature move closer.

"Gaara-kun! I'm back! Temari-chan had to run some errands but she told me to just come here and help you," Shia explained walking through the house while following his unique chakra signal.

"Ah! There you are," Shia said, staring down at a sweat pants and fishnet sleeved t-shirt clad, dusty version of Gaara.

She smiled down at him as he stared at her through level aqua green eyes. His shock of red hair was covered with a lair of gray dust, which she reached down and ruffled out immediately. She knelt down so that she was at his level, and wove her hands into that soft hair to shake the particles of dust out. When she was satisfied, she looked over his face, and noticed a little smudge of dirt on his nose. 'God he's adorable like this…Gaara should clean everyday,' Shia thought humouredly in her head. She dragged her hands over his face to wipe the dirt off, and rubbed the pad of her thumb over the tip of his nose, effectively getting the smudge off.

Gaara closed his eyes and just felt for a few minutes. He wasn't used to people just touching him without a second thought. Usually the first thought had them running away. He'd missed having someone who obviously enjoyed being close to him. He was suddenly reminded of the last time they were so close as he felt her warm breath fan over his lips. She was really close to him now, and every teenage hormone in his body screamed to close the distance. He held back however, not wanting to startle her…because he already knew he did not frighten her.

Shia thought about kissing him. She was so close. Just a couple of centimeters and she could claim his lips under hers. She wanted to…goodness he'd gotten so handsome. Blood red hair and alabaster skin stretched over lean…taught muscles that were not well hidden by his tight fighting attire, or the t-shirt he wore now that had fishnet for sleeves and around the collar.

His thin baggy black pants rode slightly low on his hips from his constant leaning over to get those, hard-to-reach places, and she could see a glimpse of the pale smooth skin of his abdomen. She'd seen him shirtless once before, but back then he'd been just a child. Now he was two years older, six inches taller, and probably sculpted perfectly from rigorous training. She then took in his face, it was smooth like porcelain and had the same flawless color. The angry red scar on his forehead still read 'love' as she remembered. He had soft, well formed lips that were like a magnet drawing her closer.

Gaara's best feature, however, had to be his eyes. His big Sea God-like eyes. They were a very pale aqua color that reminded her of the clearest tropical ocean, and yet in the moonlight they looked more an icy blue. Never had she been more attracted to another person. He was gorgeous…and even though she'd come to learn about his fearful past through his letters…she still saw nothing but beauty in him. Inside and out, he was just an amazingly beautiful person.

"There, all done," she said, pulling back…almost reluctantly and looking into his slightly confused eyes.

"Arigato…" he said quietly, pushing himself up off the floor without noticing the way his friend eyed the ripple of muscle in his arms. Shia quickly pushed all puberty triggered thoughts from her mind, and smiled brightly at him.

"So…what do you need me to do?" she asked, and heard him sigh.

"Well…I've finished the cleaning, and I believe the decorations are in the attic," Gaara said, looking at her.

"Okay, just let me go throw on something more housework appropriate and I'll be right back," she said, jogging lightly down the hall and disappearing into her room.

Kazekage Office

"So…Akito-san has arrived safely then?" the substitute Kazekage asked.

"Hai son'ou(elder)," Temari answered.

"Good then you are dismissed," the elder said, waving her from the room. Temari stalked to the door with an air of disrespect and left with her brunette brother for some lunch.

"So, what do you think about this whole marriage thing?" Kankurou asked directly. Temari sighed.

"I don't like it at all. She's way to young to be forced into a loveless marriage. No one should have to do that. It's just…what can we do about it?" the blond asked, turning her worried green eyes on her younger brother. He sighed too, and looked ahead thoughtfully as they turned into the restaurant.

"I don't know. Maybe…nah…well…maybe if she fell in love before they could find someone for her, she'd reconsider," Kankurou said, sitting down and glancing over the menu.

"That…could work! Kuro! That's genius!" the blond said, and he felt himself smile at his nickname. It meant she was pleased with him, and wouldn't be hitting him unless he did something stupid. He opted to keep up his helpful streak.

"I guess…but…who?" he asked. Temari snorted.

"Are you telling me you really don't know?" she asked, and he nodded dumbly.

"You know that when Gaara becomes Kazekage the Elders will be trying to pressure him into the same thing…for some of the same reasons. They also think that having a wife will help him control Shukaku," she said, he stared blankly at her.

"Okay, so I don't like that either, but I don't see where you're going with this," the puppet master said thickly. Temari growled a little.

"We don't want Shia to marry someone she doesn't love," he nodded, "and we don't want Gaara to marry whatever gold digging hussy the Elders can dig up for him," he nodded again.

"Okay…" he said, she smiled diabolically.

"What if we got them together?" Temari asked, and it took a few seconds for her suggestion to register in his mind.

"Brilliant! It shouldn't be too hard. I mean, Gaara's not happy about that whole marriage thing, and I know he cares about her. Plenty of love stories start out as friendships right?" he asked, and his sister nodded.

"Exactly…we just need to come up with a plan to make them see that," she said, eyes rising to the ceiling in thought.

"Oh… I don't think it'll take too much coaxing. How about…at the festival tonight..we leave them alone..." Kankurou suggested.

"Yes…that should work. He wants to keep the Kazekage thing a secret for now. It shouldn't be too hard, because no one except you, me, and the elders know about it yet," Temari said.

"So…she'll fall for him without knowing. Then he'll become Kazekage, and she'll be really happy for him. I think you should coax her into cooking him a celebration dinner after the inauguration," the brunette suggested.

"Good! Yes, that'll be perfect. Then she'll be in love, and rethink this whole marriage thing," the blond added. They sat back and admired their brilliant plan.

Konoha Gates

"Well, Neji…Tenten. We'll meet in three days at the discussed area alright?" Maito Gai asked staring proudly at his two students.

"Hai!" Tenten exclaimed with that adorable smile.

"Hai.." Neji repeated quietly.

"Okay then! Goodbye for now!" both Lee and Gai said at the same time striking the good guy pose and leaping off into the foliage.

Neji turned his white eyes on his female teammate. She seemed excited about the mission, and he had to say he was a bit anxious as well. This would be the first time they'd be alone together ever. He found her absolutely adorable, and couldn't shake the image of himself letting her hair tumble out of those two cute buns. He wondered if she felt the same as he did. Well…if she didn't he'd just have to work a little harder. He knew Tenten was one tough cookie, and that's why he liked her above all the other meaningless fan girls that trailed him constantly. She was strong, she was beautiful, and she understood him better than anyone. That's the kind of woman he was interested in.

Tenten could feel the heat of his gaze on her, and she felt a thrilling shiver pass over her entire body. Sakura had said she thought Neji liked her. The brunette girl had never given any thought as to whether the raven haired boy returned her feelings or not. But…with the way he was staring at her right now, she was starting to think that the pinkette had been right.

"Well, let's be on our way shall we?" the Hyuuga said quietly, walking ahead of her, and waiting for her to leap into the forest with him. 'Yes, this is going to be one interesting mission.'

Sabaku Residence

"AHH!" Shia screamed, backing into him and sending them both to the floor of the attic.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Kill it!" she cried, burying her face in his shoulder and pointing at a rather large, hairy spider that was sitting on the box of decorations.

Gaara stared at the eight legged creature, not particularly afraid, and then gazed down at his friend. She'd fallen between his legs, and was now trembling against his chest in fear. It struck him as funny that she was scared of this bug, and not the demon vessel she was currently on top of. He made quick work of the spider with his sand, and felt the brunette relax against him immediately.

"I hate spiders," she said quietly, shuddering against him.

For the second time today Shia found herself in a position with her dear redheaded friend, that made evil thoughts race through her puberty ridden head. She forced her eyes to stay above his waistline, and noticed that his shirt had ridden up, exposing a very nicely formed set of abs. She reached out as if hypnotized, and laid her palm over said muscles. Her slender fingers traced over the ridges of his pale stomach, fascinated with the way they twitched under her touch.

Gaara stayed perfectly still as his friend's shy fingers traced light patterns over his exposed skin. He held his breath, willing his lower regions to behave. Did she have no idea what that did to a man? She was a doctor, shouldn't she know the ins and outs of the human body? The redhead let out the breath he'd been holding, causing Shia to stop abruptly and turn red. Her eyes avoided his, as she stuttered her apology.

"I..I'm sorry Gaara-kun….I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she said in an embarrassed whisper. He pushed himself off the floor, pulling her with him, and grasped her chin between his fingers to force her to look at him. Her blush darkened.

"I'm not angry," he said, aqua eyes staring into deep blue ones. Shia felt her pulse quicken at his closeness, and her blood heated immediately.

"Okay…" she breathed, almost in a daze. Gaara forced himself away, and grabbed hold of the box of decorations. He turned to see a very flustered version of Shia, who upon making eye contact, turned and walked swiftly down the attic stairs.

"I'm…not afraid Gaara-kun! I just need a second," she called from somewhere in the distance.

He sighed and forced his racing teenage blood into submission. Gaara walked into the living room to start decorating for the festival. It really wasn't much. Just a few streamers, balloons, and some decorative lanterns. He wasn't about to start blowing up any balloons, that was obnoxious, however, he had no qualms about stringing up a few streamers.

Shia walked back into the room feeling slightly less hormonal. Immediately she walked to the box to scope out what she wanted to do. The girl avoided the balloons, well…because her mind wasn't exactly the picture of innocence at the moment, and that would cause her to think of…things. She picked up a few of the pretty lanterns and walked out to the balcony with them. Fresh air filled her lungs wonderfully, and instantly she calmed. She strung the different colored lanterns across the balcony, imagining how pretty they'd look later all lit up.

"Shia…" Gaara's voice said from behind her. She didn't turn as she leaned over the side of the balcony to attach the lantern string to a piece of laundry line.

"Hmmm.?" she said, trying but desperately failing to reach the line.

"Are you upset?" he asked, she wobbled a little, bracing her knee against the wall of the balcony, gaining a few more inches, not enough.

"No, of course not. I just needed a minute to regroup myself after the spider incident," she lied evenly. She really hoped he bought it…because…the other reason was not something she was willing to reveal. The fact that she couldn't control her body was something that bothered her. 'I mean come on! He was barely touching me!' she cried in her head.

"I see…" he said in that usual monotone that revealed neither if he bought the lie, nor if he had seen through it. She was now kneeling on the ledge of the balcony, leaning forward unsafely towards the laundry line.

"Damnit!" she cried, almost losing her balance as she rose to stand wobbly on the wall.

She teetered slightly as she reached out towards the line. Green eyes watched her cautiously, knowing how Temari liked to do things on her own, he wasn't sure if he should go help her. If she fell, it wasn't like he couldn't rescue her anyway. He stood on edge, prepared to rush forward if it was necessary. She leaned forward on her toes, barely clinging to her balance, and then quickly lost her footing. Gaara rushed to her, only to see her standing on the side of the building chuckling quietly. He glared at her.

"What? Did you think I was so horrible a ninja that I didn't know basic chakra control?" she asked with laughter in her eyes. She stood and hopped back onto the balcony, where a still glaring demon vessel crossed his arms over his chest looking slightly peeved. Which in Gaara body language meant pissed.

"Oh…are you really that angry with me? It's not like I'm some damsel in distress that needs rescuing all the time! I am perfectly capable of handling myself! I don't need everyone coming into my life and trying to tell me that I'm not making good decisions!" she slipped, and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Gaara's eyes widened. 'So that's the real reason behind this little outburst. I was starting to think we were going to argue again,' he thought.

"Shia…" he began, but she held a hand up to silence him.

"No…I…I'm sorry I'm acting so weird. I've just got a lot on my mind. Everyone is telling me that I shouldn't give into the Elders. Everyone is trying so hard to save me from something I've already committed to. I thought it was the right decision at the time, I really did," she explained quietly. Gaara laid a strong hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him with confused navy eyes.

"We're not trying to run your life. We just want you to think it through a little more Shia. It's a big decision for someone your age, and we're just worried you're rushing into something you might not be prepared for," he explained. She looked at him thoughtfully.

"It's not like I want this you know. I've always dreamed of getting married to someone I truly loved. To someone who would give anything for me, and visa versa. When the Elders told me that they'd be choosing my husband…I was upset..but they said it's what is best for the Clan. As their future leader…how can I refuse?" she asked, allowing him to guide her to a seat on the couch next to him.

"No one has the right to take that away from you. Love…is something that has always confused me, and still does to some extent. I know I love my siblings, I know I love the few people who I call my friends, and I know I love my village, despite the fact that they despise me," Gaara started, her gentle hands squeezed his bicep in comfort.

"Love is something that I want to be able to experience one day. Not the kind of love I have now. To be in love…though it may be too much to ask for, for someone like me…that is something I will always hope for," he finished, and Shia felt her heart fill with a foreign emotion. It wasn't pity, and it was much stronger than friendship…hearing him talk like that made her want to say something to him. However, her confused brain was clouding the words.

"I promise to think it through. I guess with all the pressure I just let them do things their way. I figured they'd know what's best for the Clan, because they've been there for years," she said quietly.

"Just because you're the heiress to your clan…doesn't mean that you can't be happy. That's all we want…is for you to be happy," Gaara said, grabbing the remote and turning the television on to lighten the mood.

He felt her move closer to him, and lifted his arm so she could snuggle into his side. Her head lay comfortably on his chest, and she draped an arm over his stomach, eyes watching the screen. Shia glanced up at the boy above her, and knew she'd almost made a grave mistake. How could she ever think that someone of the Elders' choosing could make her happy?

"Arigato Gaara-kun….I almost made the biggest mistake in my life. You're always there for me," she said, listening to the sound of his heartbeat and deep even breathing. She felt his arm wrap around her shoulders, and that's when it hit her. She was in love with Sabaku no Gaara…and it felt good.

a/n: the end! Till next time! Review!


	19. Is this Love?

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

A/N: Hokage red (literally "Fire Shadow"?) Kage of Konohagakure. Land of Fire  
Kazekage (literally "Wind Shadow"?) Kage of Sunagakure.  
Mizukage (literally "Water Shadow"?) Kage of Kirigakure.  
Raikage (literally "Lightning Shadow"?) Kage of Kumogakure.  
Tsuchikage (literally "Earth Shadow"?) Kage of Iwagakure.

Chapter 18

Temari and Kankurou walked through the festival, a little confused. They had thought that their master plan would be put into action tonight, however…when they got home…it really didn't seem necessary. They walked into the house only to see Shia curled comfortably against their younger brother's side, arm laying over his stomach, with his arm resting lazily around her waist. Perhaps things would be easier than they'd first thought, even though it had seemed pretty easy already.

"That had to be the cutest thing I've ever seen," Temari whispered to her brother so that the two behind wouldn't hear.

"I have to admit they look good together. Well, we can still help you know. Let's disappear," Kankurou suggested, and his older sister nodded. Temari looked around and spotted a little game.

"Let's go over here Kankurou!" she said, loud enough for the other two to hear, and dragged her brother off to the game. Gaara and Shia exchanged confused looks and just continued on.

"Is it just me or have they been acting weird lately?" Shia asked, turning her dark blue eyes on him. He sighed.

"Well…weirder than usual," he answered quietly. She giggled.

"I wonder what's gotten into them," she said. He 'hn'd' and continued walking.

"I'm kind of hungry, wanna stop to get some dinner?" the brunette asked, and he nodded, turning into the nearest food stand.

Mission Neji/Tenten(a/n: /headset radio talking/)

/Panda, is the target in sight?/ a male voice said over her headset.

/Hai Raven!…he is entering the pub./ she answered.

/Move out…/ was his order.

/Understood…Panda out./ she answered.

/Raven out…/ he said.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Tenten watched as her teammate activated his Byakugan to search the pub. She knew he'd laid eyes on the target when he fixed his stare and entered the pub. She was to wait ten minutes for Neji to secure the area, then walk in and do her part. She transformed into an older version of herself, wearing a short black kimono with no sleeves and a little open diamond to reveal her fuller cleavage. She undid the buns on her head and began combing her fingers through her hair. Her job was simple, get the man into a private room for questioning. With seduction in mind, she began to apply some makeup.

In the Pub

Neji scoped out the dingy little bar for any signs of trouble. He found no one that he thought his two man cell couldn't handle, and turned his eyes back on the target. He was a large, round man, with dusty gray hair and probably about two teeth. He had a very weak presence, and the Hyuuga could already see he wouldn't be too hard to get information out of. He had the look of a coward. Cowards are the easiest to pry information out of.

/This is Panda to Raven…I'm ready./ Tenten's soft, feminine voice called over the headset. He looked over the bar once more with his Byakugan, and answered.

/Clear Panda…target is sitting on the third stool at the bar….gray hair, black eyes, robust…commence 'Operation Red Cloud'/ he answered softly enough not to be heard by anyone around him.

/Hai!…Panda out../ she said.

/Be cautious…Raven out../ he said, and watched the door.

In walked a slightly taller, older version of his teammate. Her long tan legs were shown nicely by the short, revealing kimono she now wore. Her hair hung a little past her shoulder blades in chestnut ringlets. She wore red lipstick over her full, pouty lips; and black eye liner around her big, chocolate eyes. The Hyuuga's breath hitched…she was beautiful.

He watched silently as she walked over to the fat ugly man she'd be seducing. She batted her mascara clad, full eyelashes a few times, smiling slyly and looking lustily at the man. The fat man bit immediately, flirting back with the pretty girl. A few words were exchanged, and Neji saw the man pat the seat next to him. Tenten slid onto the stool, and lifted a nicely toned leg to cross over the other one excruciatingly slowly. Two pairs of eyes followed her movement intently.

"So you wanna go somewhere a little more…private," Tenten said in a breathy whisper, smiling flirtatiously.

"Where do you suggest we go my little vixen?" the man asked, moving closer to her. She chuckled in a melodious, seductive tone.

"We could rent a room for the night," she suggested, tracing a finger over his fat, sweaty chest, "I heard this place has an Inn upstairs."

She looked at him intensely, rubbing her finger in the whipped cream of his 'fat man's' pie, and bringing her finger slowly to her lips. She wrapped her tongue around her index finger suggestively, swirling it along the top, and then taking the entire finger into her mouth. When she pulled it out she made sure to hollow her cheeks, and stare into his eyes lustily. She smirked when she saw him shudder. 'Got him!' she thought.

"OI BAR KEEP!" the fat man roared, causing the owner of the place to turn and glare.

"Can I help you?" he asked forcibly civil.

"I need a room for the evening. No disturbances," he said, and the other man nodded.

The owner scribbled the man's name in the 'check in' book, and handed him a key. While he was preoccupied, Tenten turned and made brief eye contact with her partner, who blinked deliberately once, signaling he understood. Faster than anyone in the bar could possibly see, he took out the legs of the chair of the person sitting nearest to him. The man fell to the floor and drunkenly cried out in pain. Tenten took her cue.

"Oh no! He might be hurt! You go on ahead, I used to be a nurse, so I'm just gonna make sure he's alright," she said, throwing puppy dog eyes on as extra conviction.

"Mmm…smart too eh? I caught a good little vixen tonight. Alright then, we're in room fifteen, I'll be waiting," he said in a low, attempted sexy voice. Tenten found herself wanting to gag, however, she opted to smile slyly at him again.

"What's your name hon?" he asked, she grinned and made a claw motion with her hand while hissing like a cat.

"I'm Katherine, but you can call me Kitty," she purred, and he growled.

"Don't be too long," he said into her ear, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"It'll only take a second," she said, and walked over to the injured man.

She helped him into a new seat, and after a quick look over, assured him he would be fine. Although…she did advise him not to drink anymore. The brunette spared a glance at the Hyuuga leaning unnoticed against a far wall. She walked passed him, and brushed him on accident (coughpurposecough).

"Gomen…" she said softly, pushing a piece of paper with the room number into his hand and walking gracefully up towards the stairs.

"It's fine…" he answered, tucking the paper into his hand discreetly, and watching her disappear into the stairwell.

Tenten knocked softly on the door to room fifteen which was opened by the robust man she was currently seducing. She was grabbed roughly by her arm and thrown non too gracefully onto the bed. The fat man hovered over her, breathing heavily and sweating. He'd pinned her arms over her head in one strong hand, of course she knew she could get away if she needed too. Her job was to keep him occupied until Neji was able to sneak upstairs without a room key, and get into the room which she'd made sure to leave open.

A pair of revolting lips attached themselves to her neck, and she felt herself shudder in disgust. Of course, said movement which was taken for arousal, made the gross man groan loudly. She let perfectly faked moans tumble from her lips, as the dirty old man made a slimy path down her neck. She keened falsely and stretched her neck to give him more access. The man was ready, she could feel his erection against her thigh, along with some gelatinous fat. He tugged at the ties of her kimono, and opened it to reveal her bare chest.

He kissed down the valley of her breasts, and Tenten covered up her revulsion expertly. Inside she wanted to cry. No one had ever seen her the least bit naked save her own mother, and here this man was licking and nibbling at parts of her that were personal. She knew it was her job as a shinobi to complete the mission no matter what, so she dealt with it. She moaned and writhed in forged pleasure, secretly wishing Neji would hurry. The man pushed her legs open, and she felt him rip her underwear off. She struggled, enough to keep him at bay for a few seconds, but not enough to turn him off. She craftily covered it as playing hard to get.

"Don't be scared my little vixen…I won't hurt you," he said, fear causing a shiver to course through her body.

She felt his fingers trace the lips of her sex. Quickly she threw up a small genjutsu that made it seem as if she were aroused. She trembled nervously as he pressed the tip of his finger against her entrance. She squeezed her eyes shut, begging the heavens for him to stop. His finger receded and she heard some shuffling. There was a zipping sound and then a soft thud of his pants flying somewhere into the room. Soon something much bigger was pressing against her opening. She drew in a sharp breath, tears only covered by her genjutsu. 'Where are you Neji? Neji…Neji! NEJI!" she cried in her head. Suddenly a gust of air hit her, and the fat man was flung harshly against the nearest wall.

"Tenten?…" she heard her partner's voice say quietly. She opened her brown eyes, dropping the henge and the genjutsu. She pulled the covers over her exposed form.

"It's okay…I'm here….I'm here. I'm sorry," he said, his usually unreadable white eyes filled with concern for her.

'If I'd been a second later…he would have…' he threw the thought out of his mind, and helped his teammate wrap the blanket over herself. She looked scared, and embarrassed. He felt guilt gurgle in his stomach. He lifted her silently and brought her into the bathroom, setting her on the closed toilet seat gently.

"Take a few minutes to calm yourself. Shower, I'll find some clothing for you, I'll take it from here. You did amazing…I'm so sorry," he said, leaving the still in shock girl in the bathroom. He closed the door silently, and walked into the room where a chakra string tied , very scared looking version of their target sat. 'At least I know she was prepared to attack. She managed to get the chakra strings around him without his noticing,' the Hyuuga thought.

"So Mr. Hokkaido….what do you know about Akatsuki?" Neji began, and the man trembled at the name.

Sunagakure Kazekage Festival

Shia hugged a giant plushy teddy bear to her lovingly, and stared up at Gaara with happy eyes. He felt his heartbeat quicken at that look. He felt completed looking at her like that…with her slender arm hooked in his, and a happy smile set across her face. He had a fleeting thought that he could go on forever like that. Of course, she was expected to be Head of an important clan in Konoha, and he was going to be Kazekage; so that idea was really just a bit of fantasy.

"Thanks for winning me this…it's so cute! You really didn't have to," she squealed in obvious excitement. He pondered the way that women could say things, yet mean the exact opposite of what they were saying at the same time. He knew she'd wanted him to win her the bear, that's why he'd done it.

"I wanted to," he said, and she smiled even brighter. He felt his lips quirk up in a tiny smile.

"Say…do you remember the panda doll you got me for my thirteenth birthday?" she asked. He nodded remembering how ridiculous he'd felt handing it to her.

"I still have it you know…and the card too. 'Happy Birthday Shia….I wish you happiness, Gaara'" she quoted the card. He felt his heart do an odd fluttering motion inside his chest. 'I can't believe she remembers that,' he thought.

"I thought it was so sweet. That really was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. I feel so at home here with you and your family. It's weird huh?" she asked, and he shook his head. Gaara didn't think it was weird at all.

He remembered the night of her birthday as well. It was the night of his first kiss. The first night where someone had dared to get so close to him. Shia hadn't even worried about herself. She'd just wanted to make sure he enjoyed it. It was something he'd never forget, and he found himself wanting to repeat it. He felt Shia's arm slide out of his, and her hand wrap shyly around his. If he weren't in public he would've blushed. He wasn't quite sure if he should pretend he hadn't noticed, or squeeze back. This whole girl + boy thing was still a little confusing for him.

Shia relaxed when she felt his initial surprised tension fade. She'd been debating for about fifteen minutes on whether she should try holding his hand or not. She was actually quite happy that she'd decided to. He hadn't drawn back, and he hadn't freaked out, which was a good sign. There was one more thing on her mind, however…she really wanted to re-enact the night of her birthday with him. To feel his matured body pressed against hers, his strong arms hugged around her waist, his skin against hers...and maybe ins…..'Hold on to your horses girlie! One step at a time. First you see if he's interested in kissing you…then we can worry about the other stuff,' her conscience scolded her, effectively cutting off her rapidly guttering thoughts. She damned her hormones for the fifty millionth time that week.

"Gaara-kun…I'm getting a little bored here, and kind of tired…can we go home?" she asked, looking up at him through wide pleading eyes. 'Looks like that puppy dog look got stronger as well,' he thought.

"Hn…" he said, turning them down the street that led to his home.

They walked in a comfortable silence, hand in hand, and Gaara decided to test his luck a little. He had a strange feeling in his heart every time Shia was near, and every time she touched him. It was a foreign emotion that confused him to no end. He wanted her help in finding out what it was, however, he had to know if she was willing. So…he laced his fingers through hers as he turned the key into the lock of his house. He was positive he heard a small gasp from the brunette girl beside him. He casually pretended he hadn't done anything while he led her up the stairs.

Gaara felt his heart leap strangely when her warm fingers grasped his hand lightly…almost shyly. He thought the best place to start was on the couch in front of the television. That seemed to be the place she was most comfortable being close to him. He sat lounging across the couch with one leg across the cushions and one hanging over the edge. One arm lay over the top of the couch with the remote in hand as the other lay to his side, his head against one of the throw pillows.

Shia wondered if she should go to her room like she was planning, or if she should lay on the couch with the Gaara. She was a little tired, but the main reason she wanted to come back to the house was because she wanted to be alone with him. She hesitated for just a little longer, before taking a step forward and deciding to watch TV with him for a little while.

The redhead felt his friend settle herself between his legs. It was a little more than he'd expected. She laid with him, stomach to stomach, her chest on his upper abdomen, and her head laying snuggly against his chest. One of her hands rested around his waist as far as it could reach with his back against the sofa. The other rested on his left pectoral, fingers splayed wide and drumming softly. When she seemed comfortable enough, he brought his the arm on the top of the sofa to wrap around her lithe waist, and his other hand to cup the one on his chest. He felt her heart speed up against him, but eventually she relaxed, breathing hot even breaths over his chest.

The future Kazekage felt amazing laying with a beautiful woman who cared about him. The warmth of her body seemed to leak into his heart and fill in the missing pieces. It was such an intimate moment, and he wondered if she felt the same. 'What is this feeling? I know lust is a part of it…I know what lust is…but it's such a minuscule, insignificant part of the grander scheme of this emotion. I don't understand. I'll have to ask Kankurou about this later,' he thought.

Gaara spared a glance down at the girl who was on top of him. He was surprised to see her staring right back at him, with something he couldn't quite pin in her dark blue eyes. Whatever it was, it was like a magnet. He wanted to get closer. He wanted to take those rouge colored, pouty lips underneath his. To feel….whatever this emotion was, it made him feel…like…he was needed. She continued to look at him, and he couldn't break away from her gaze. It was so intense…he felt his stomach flutter…pleasantly?

He felt her hand fist in his shirt, and her muscles tensed against him as she pulled herself closer. Gaara tightened the arm around her waist, pulling her tighter against him. Their faces came within inches of each other. The hand that was underneath his on his chest moved to cup his face gently. He felt the pad of her thumb brush over his cheek in a soft caress. He fought to keep his heart at a normal pace as he felt hers thudding erratically against his chest. Gaara closed the distance, wanting to see if she would push him away. If she did, he knew they were destined to be only friends, and he hoped she would forgive him. But if she didn't…then perhaps they could be more…whatever that was.

Shia felt the pressure of his warm lips against her own, and felt her heart jump up to her throat. She bit back a moan enough to edit it into a soft, almost inaudible whimper. Her hands jumped to his hair, weaving in and pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. She hadn't realized how much she'd been craving this. She nearly jumped him on the spot, but he refused. He held back…teasing…brushing his lips tortuously slowly over hers. She shuddered. It was almost shy, the way he kissed her. It was like he wasn't quite sure what to do; but by the way he held control…she knew he wanted to dominate the kiss this time. Shia lightened her grip on his hair, and allowed him full range over her lips.

Gaara's heart leapt happily at her eager reaction, but he held his patient pace. Going slow made him feel more confident that he wouldn't make any mistakes. She'd let out a little whine when he refused her offer to ravage his mouth. It was cute…and he felt his body heat up immediately in response. He sat up, pushing her into a kneeling position on the couch where he scattered a few light kisses over her face, neck and shoulder. Her breaths were coming out in short uneven rasps. Her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer to her as she let her back rest against the couch. Gaara let his hands move up the sides of her body to her neck where he caressed softly over the expanse. The skin was soft and warm under his fingertips. He memorized the most sensitive places. Her nap, the hollow, her pulse point, and that space right behind her earlobe. When he pressed his fingers there, she'd keened and arched against him.

The medic sat as a puddle of pleasure against the couch. She knew right now he was just exploring. He was just finding the places that made her head swim…and she allowed him this. Without trying, he was making her melt into nothingness. She felt a familiar dampness between her legs, and squeezed her thighs together. It was forgotten however, when his mouth found hers again. It started soft…at that cruel but oh so delicious pace he seemed so fond of. She whined again, a long, pleading one and felt him shiver slightly against her.

Finally he opened his mouth over hers, and licked gently at her lips. She granted him entrance almost immediately, groaning as that hot muscle dragged itself slowly around her mouth. 'He's torturing me. That's what this is! He's torturing me slowly but…ooooh it's so good…' she managed to think through her heat. She felt him withdraw, sucking her bottom lip into his hot mouth and nipping at it before letting it snap back. She moaned again, tilting her head to the side, and exposing her neck.

Gaara quietly congratulated himself for doing well so far. He'd never kissed a girl before, he'd been kissed by Shia, but he'd never been in control before. It felt great to have her trembling against him, and making those delightful little noises against his mouth that went straight to his loins. He looked over her now. Face flushed, lips hanging open as she panted, and her neck arched toward him in invitation…she wanted him to do this.

He placed his lips at the juncture between her ear and her neck, reveling in how she shivered against him. He felt her hands weave themselves into his hair again and massage little circles into his scalp. The redhead let loose a low moan, vibrating through his lips against her exposed neck. She whimpered again, pressing his head closer. Gaara wanted to hear her do it again…those noises…they were addictive. He ran his tongue over her pulse point, wrapped his lips around it, and sucked gently. She moaned again, and he could feel a certain part of his body, despite his fighting to control it, hardening. He pulled back immediately, not wanting to take this too far. Guilt struck him hard when her confused blue eyes opened on him.

"I…I think we should stop now," he said. She looked a little hurt. He leaned down to kiss her again. It was soft…and tender, letting her know he didn't want to stop.

"Gaara-kun…" she murmured against his lips. That breathy tone in her voice made him want to give into his body's desires...but he knew he had to stop.

"I don't want to push you too far. We have to be sure we want this. I want you to be positive. My brother told me that your first time should be with someone you are in love with," Gaara explained, and Shia nodded in understanding. They moved away from each other, the redhead happy he was wearing loose fitting robes, and the brunette slightly disappointed, but understanding.

"I understand. I want you to know indefinitely that this is what you want Gaara-kun," she said softly.

"I want the same from you. I want you to be sure that you want it to be me that is your first," he said, and she nodded, placing a light kiss on his lips.

"I think I should go to bed now. Good night Gaara-kun," she said smiling at him.

"Good night Shia," he said, and they both went off into their respective rooms.

Mission Neji/Tenten

Tenten came out of the bathroom wrapped in a short fluffy towel, and sat on the bed quietly. Her brown eyes flicked over to the bruised, knocked out version of the man who'd almost raped her. It was obvious that Neji had beaten him a little more than was necessary. She almost smiled at the thought. Neji wasn't as open with his emotions as Lee and Gai were...but all her boys were highly protective of her in their own ways. She didn't know why she hadn't been able to pull him off with her chakra strings. She'd been frozen in fear…not a good trait for a shinobi. Silently she scolded herself for her lack of nerve. The door opened and closed softly to her left. She turned her gaze onto her teammate. He had a plate of food, and what looked like clothing draped over his arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sitting next to her on the bed. She nodded, and smiled weakly at him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect myself. A ninja is supposed to be able to stay on task no matter what. I almost blew it for us," she said, looking down in shame. She felt a strong finger lift her chin gently to look at him. His white eyes were serious, the look both guilty and slightly scolding.

"No…that was almost really bad Tenten. If I was a little later…he could have…I don't even want to think about it. You had every right to be afraid. Ninja or no ninja, we're still people…don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. Maybe you wouldn't have had to go so far. There was a fight in the bar, and I had to wrestle my way through without the bar keep realizing where I was hea…." he began but she cut him off.

"You don't have to apologize. I should have been able to protect myself. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing so," she said, looking at him with that independent glint in her eyes.

"That's not what I meant. I know you can protect yourself…but as your teammate…and your friend…I will always be here to protect you when you need it," he said, letting a small smile grace his handsome face. Tenten felt her heart stumble for a second, and leaned in, brushing her rouged lips against his. Neji froze, startled by her actions, but did not pull back.

"Arigato…Neji-kun," she said in almost a whisper.

The sound of the affectionate suffix attached to his name coming out of her mouth made his heart thump hard and fast against his ribcage. She moved back, not wanting confusion to destroy this perfect moment between her and the boy she'd loved ever since their genin days. He seemed content with doing the same, not looking upset at her boldness, which made her relax a little. He pushed the clothes towards her, and laid the plate of food on the nightstand.

"Here, I found these in your bag, you should get dressed and then have something to eat," he said. She nodded, walking back towards the bathroom with her clothes in hand. She emerged feeling much more comfortable and refreshed. With Neji in the room, she felt safe, no matter how much her independent side hated the way it happened like that.

"So, what did he say?" the girl asked, looking into the pearly eyes of her teammate.

"He said he doesn't know much about the missing-nin from this village that was reported to be in Akatsuki. The Tsuchikage had the whole incident covered up very well. He did say, however, that the kid was the last of his clan. An artist whose belief is that art is beautiful, but short lived. He used to create amazing sculptures. He a prodigy among the villagers for his artistic skill, but then he'd blow them to pieces because he thought the destruction was even more beautiful..." Neji explained softly, pushing the plate of finger food towards Tenten.

"So, that's the best we can get on him?" she asked, he nodded.

"Well, Hokkaido here is the only person in the village who knows anything. According to him…all those who knew what happened have been threatened into silence or killed. I would've been able to tell if he was lying. He did say, however, that it was the Akatsuki that came and recruited the artist into their ranks…a man with long dark hair…and a man who resembled a shark," Neji said. Tenten's eyes widened in realization.

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame…" she murmured, receiving a nod of assent from the raven.

"Hokkaido said that the boy was no older than seventeen when he left, and probably would have been a candidate for Tsuchikage in a couple of years. He was highly skilled then, and is definitely even more so now," the Hyuuga explained, closing his lavender tinted eyes in thought.

"Well, I guess we got some good information out of this. Did he know anything about the type of jutsu this artist used?" Tenten asked. Neji opened his eyes just a slit looking thoughtful. 'God he's gorgeous…' she thought.

"Ah…he did…now that I think of it. He said the kid used to be an assassin, and that every person he killed was found in pieces, as if they'd been exploded. There was never any evidence left, and the crime scene was always destroyed…charred even," the Hyuuga prodigy explained.

"Then it's safe to assume he uses explosive jutsu…even if we can not decipher exactly how, or what he uses to do it. This will be some useful information for Hokage-sama!" Tenten exclaimed happily, smiling adorably and biting into a finger sandwich.

"Hai…" Neji replied, watching her eat contentedly…happy to see she looked better.

"Ne…Neji-kun?" she said.

"Hn…"

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked, worry evident on her features. He graced her with a smile.

"I'm not very hungry. I had something earlier. You go ahead," he said. She looked skeptical for a moment, but he relaxed when she seemed to have bought it.

"You know Neji-kun. I don't think I've seen you smile so much since we've known each other," Tenten said, his expression turned into a shocked one before he frowned in thought.

"No! Don't stop!" she exclaimed, shaking her head and causing the soft chestnut ringlets to bounce around her face gracefully. Her hands flew to his face and he felt the corners of his mouth go up with her thumbs. He stared at her incredulously.

"It's nice…you should smile all the time," she said, a little blush adorning her pretty face.

Her brown eyes avoided his, and focused on the plate of food she was suddenly keenly interested in. 'She's so cute. I…I don't know when I started feeling this way. Perhaps at the Chuunin exams two years ago when that Sand Kunoichi almost killed her, but…maybe…she can be my happiness…maybe…she is my destined one…' Neji thought to himself, knowing that fate was decided by one's own actions, but kind of hoping that he was right at the same time.

He'd really changed since his fight with Naruto two years ago…in a good way he'd like to think. He'd learned from the blond loudmouth. Idiot he may be, but Uzumaki Naruto had an uncanny ability to provide everyone he came in contact with not only hope, but a new outlook on life. Neji had adopted his now friend's 'way of the ninja'. Never back down…fight for the ones who are precious to you. He attributed his Jounin rank to his new outlook…his patched relationship with Hinata-sama, and Hiashi-sama…now he was ready to form new bonds. New precious bonds to protect.

"Tenten…" he said, she looked up at him with wide chocolate eyes.

"H…hai?" she said, a dark flush forming on the ridge of her nose. He smiled at her genuinely, fully enjoying the way her face lit up like a tomato.

"You are very precious to me…" he said, still smiling. Her brown eyes widened to the size of saucers, and her heart beat sped up almost impossibly. After a few moments of silence, he rose and strode towards the bathroom. He'd let her think on it for a little while.

(Three days later: Kazekage Inauguration Ceremony)

"When's the Kazekage coming?!" Shia asked excitedly. She'd never been to one of these before. Sandaime's inauguration was about a hundred years before she was born, and she hadn't been born quite yet when Yondaime was inaugurated. She was in Sunagakure when Tsunade was inaugurated. It was all very exciting.

"Soon…soon…calm down Shia-chan! You're like a five year old at the village fair!" Temari laughed.

"Gomen! I've never been to one of these! The village is so pumped! It's invigorating. Where's Gaara-kun? He's missing it!" she answered over the cheering crowd.

"He'll be here soon enough. He had some things to take care of first," Kankurou said.

"You'll see him soon enough!" Temari said in a sing song voice, barely able to hold the secret for much longer. Fortunately, the head of the Elder council came out in all of his old and crusty glory. He raised his hands, and the crowd was instantly silent.

"Good afternoon villagers of Sunagakure. We are all gathered here in front of Kazekage Tower to pass the title of Kazekage on to the next deserving shinobi. Unfortunately Yondaime-sama was murdered by the enemy…but…we have been searching and testing all of our elite shinobi. We the Council of Elders, have decided unanimously that there is no ninja in Sunagakure stronger than our chosen Godaime Kazekage. He has worked hard, he has exceeded what many had once thought was humanly impossible. We have noticed him above all others to be the best, and so should you. Here to take his place, and oath as our Godaime Kazekage…is…Sabaku no Gaara," the Elder said, and out strolled Gaara wearing a long elegant robe of blue and white.

He stood tall, and proud, daring the village to challenge his accomplishment. The villagers stared in silence at the fifteen year old in Kage robes, hat perched perfectly over his fiery red hair. Shia stared…awed…stunned at what she saw. 'K…kazekage? H..he's even stronger than I though he'd be…' she thought.

"YEAH! GAARA!" Kankurou's voice echoed through the silence.

"WAY TO GO BABY BROTHER! YOU SHOW'EM!" Temari screamed up at the redhead. His green eyes looked down at them with pride and happiness swirling in their depths. He'd made it. He was Kazekage, and now he could prove to this village that he was worth their acknowledgement. He wasn't a monster.

"G…Gaara-kun?…" Shia managed. He couldn't hear what she'd said, but her eyes gave him all the support he needed. He walked to the edge of the balcony, and raised his right hand in the air.

"I Sabaku no Gaara…promise to protect the people in this village…Iie…the people of Wind Country, from all enemies with my life. I vow to bring this village to back to its former glory. Every citizen shall have food, shelter, water…and a source of income. I will make sure our Medical Facilities are staffed with the best, and given the best equipment. Finally, I will re-establish Sunagakure's respect within the five villages," he said in the smooth, calm voice of a diplomat.

The crowd stayed quiet for a moment. No one really seemed to know how to react to the news for a long while. The shocked silence seemed to stretch on forever. For a long time everyone just stared at Gaara... and then something amazing happened.

"A..ano H..he's so cool…" the voice of a boy no older than eight said from beside Shia.

"H..he doesn't look that much older than us!" another cried out.

"He's the same age as my older brother…a…and niisan is only a Chuunin! He must be strong!" a little girl shouted.

"H..hai!" her friend exclaimed from beside her.

The children in the crowd soon started cheering loudly. Shia found herself joining them jovially. Kankurou and Temari danced in circles together in happiness. The adults in the crowd looked confused for a moment…but eventually some of them….at least the younger ones started to join in. Gaara bowed his head in acknowledgment, and threw a wave as he left the balcony of Kazekage Tower. 'It's a start…' he thought.

Sabaku Residence

"Ano….Gaara…Kankurou and I are going out for some sake…are you sure you don't wanna come?" Temari asked, knowing he'd say no.

"Temari…I'm not old enough to drink and neither are either of you…demo…I won't stop you if that's what you want to do," he said quietly. She shrugged, and walked through the door her brother was holding open for her.

"Suit yourself. Well…at least you won't be alone…Shia-chan refused our offer too. Kill joys," Kankurou said, closing the door behind him.

Gaara walked into the kitchen, where his brunette friend was currently cooking them something to eat. He watched her bustle around the kitchen, imagining she'd make someone a good wife someday. Then he pushed the thought out, because her and marriage didn't bring up happy thoughts for him. He wondered…had she decided?

"Kazekage….ne?" he heard her say, a little chuckle escaping her.

"Hn…" he answered, watching her stir some ingredients.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, placing the bowl on the counter and serving some food onto two plates.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he answered evenly. She laughed again.

"Well, I'm certainly surprised," she answered, placing a plate of food in front of him and taking a seat next to his with her own.

"I'm proud of you Gaara-kun," she said, wrapping her fingers around his wrist lightly, and smiling at him. His heart did that weird fluttery thing again. He'd really have to remember to ask one of his siblings why the hell that happened.

"Arigato.." he said, picking up his chopsticks and beginning his dinner.

They ate in silence, and when they were both finished, Shia cleaned up. He offered to do the dishes since she cooked. Shia said something about changing into more comfortable clothing, and he watched her leave for her room. When he was done with the dishes, he sat down on the couch to watch some Television. He'd never been really interested in it before, but it seemed the only thing do at the moment. The movie was called 'Arachnophobia' and currently there were giant spiders attacking unsuspecting village folk.

"Oh my god! Ew!" he heard, as the other side of the couch became occupied with his friend.

She looked at him, hesitated, and then positioned herself between his legs with her back to his front. Gaara wrapped his arms around her, and felt his body well up with that strange emotion again as they relaxed against each other. Her thumb was rubbing little circles over his knuckles affectionately. He glanced down at her. Shia was staring at the screen with a revolted expression on her face. 'She really hates spiders,' he thought.

The movie wasn't long, and the special affects weren't too great, so he focused on other things. Like the way Shia's lips caressed over his knuckles every once and a while. He wondered if she realized she was doing it. He leaned down and kissed her temple, trying to give back at least a little of the affection she was showing him. He wasn't used to such intimate actions, but he felt like he could get used to them. He heard her sigh contentedly as the movie ended. It was late, and he had to be up early for his first day as Kazekage in the morning.

"Shia…I think I'll retire for the night," he said. He didn't sleep, but simulated sleep (meditation) was good enough for him.

"Hai…" she said, rising with him. She placed a little kiss on his kanji.

"Good night Gaara-kun," she said, hugging him.

"Good night Shia," he answered, holding her for a second and then watching her walk off to her room after they broke apart.

He walked into his room over to the closet. Quickly he dressed in a pair of baggy black pants and a tank top…his night clothes. He walked over to his bed, pondering many things. His relationship with Shia had changed when she'd returned. It's like…as they'd matured, so did their friendship. It had become something more….he just didn't know what that something was. The feelings…emotions…it was still difficult for him to grasp it. Emotions were something he'd just started allowing in the past two years. It was a subject he was still learning in. He heard a soft knock on the door.

"Enter…" he said softly, and the subject of his previous thoughts entered the room.

She wore a long robe, and had let her long chocolate hair down. She seemed a little nervous…anxious even. Gaara didn't know what to make of it. It's not that he was angry that she'd disturbed him. It's just…he wondered why is all. Usually when he said he was retiring, she left him for the night. So what was with tonight?…and why did she look so nervous?

"Is there something wrong?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Gaara-kun, there's something I wanted to give to you," she said, causing him to tilt his head in confusion.

"I've decided…that I can not love whomever it is that is chosen for me to marry," she began, "I can not be with the person I love…but Gaara-kun…this is something I trust only to you. This part of me…belongs to you," she said, and he still wasn't getting it.

"Shia, I don't understand," he said, and she untied the robe, letting it fall to the ground.

Gaara's sea foam eyes widened, and his body reacted immediately. Shia walked to him…naked, and pushed him down on the bed. She took his lips under hers gently, caressing them with her own. Her small hands ran up his chest, as she straddled his hips. The redhead reacted to her kiss by thrusting his tongue into her mouth, and tasting the sweetness that was Shia. He rolled them over, pressing her into the mattress, not quite sure what to do; but staring into her deep, lust filled, yet affectionate eyes.

"Shia…why are you doing this? You said you'd fight," he said, she nodded, looking a little teary eyed.

"Gaara-kun…Gaara-kun…I can never love anyone as long as I love you," she said, and his Sea-god like eyes filled with confusion.

Her hands moved to his face. She cupped his cheeks, and brought him down for a tender kiss. Slow, deliberate, and full of affection. Love…she loved him. 'She loves me…but….I…I…' Shia swept her warm tongue through his mouth, running her fingers through his hair. Her lips pressed over the 'ai' scar on his head lovingly; then over his cheeks and then back to his lips again.

"I don't expect you to say it back…even if you did feel the same…I'm positive you would be confused. You wouldn't understand right away," she said, and his heart clenched. He wanted to say it back…but he didn't know.

"I…I care for you…you are precious to me," he said, "but…I…"

"Shh.." she hushed, pressing her soft lips to his.

"You don't have to explain. Knowing that I am precious to you is enough for me. I can never love anyone the way I love you Gaara-kun. This…" she spread her legs under him, and his clothed member came in contact with her naked sex, "belongs to you…and you alone," she finished. He held back a groan.

Gaara was unsure of what to do, but she wanted this. She wanted him to be her first. She'd proclaimed her love for him. Even if he wasn't sure…even if he was still confused; he knew that he wanted her to be his first as well. He couldn't think of anyone that was more worthy. She'd been there for him…she'd healed him…befriended him, even after he'd hurt her…tried to kill her. She still came back and agreed to be his friend. After she left, she'd stayed in contact with him…even though he didn't write back right away.

"Gaara-kun…please…I don't want my first time to be with a man I don't know…I don't love. Please…" she pleaded, and he caved.

"H…hai," he said, leaning down and capturing her soft lips with his.

Her hands came to the hem of his shirt, and he lifted his arms to help her get it off. She tossed it somewhere in the room, attaching her mouth to the newly exposed flesh. Gaara's ivory skin was smooth and flawless. He had beautifully defined muscle, not an ounce of fat in sight. His arms were lean but built, and the lines of his biceps showed as he leaned back on his elbows to allow her more access. Shia made a path over his toned chest, running her tongue over a nipple, and enjoying the feel of his rippling abdomen under her curious hands.

Gaara gasped as he felt a hot mouth suck and lick over his chest. He felt her tongue making a searing outline of his abdominal muscles. Each one twitched and flexed under her ministrations. His blood pooled itself between two places. His flushed face, and his aroused member. Her tongue laved at the dip of his navel, circling his belly button, and showing her expert knowledge of the human nervous system. Her hand brushed him through his pants, and he hissed at the sensation. Gaara grabbed Shia by the upper arms, pulling her up to engage a passionate kiss. He flipped her on her back, devouring her mouth with his own, pouring everything he felt into the kiss. Even if he didn't exactly understand what that was, he knew that if he could convey it physically, she'd understand.

Shia moaned loudly against the redhead's mouth. She could feel his hands wandering over her nude form, and brought hers forth to guide him. She moved his warm hand to cup her breast, arching into the touch to convey her need. At first he didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do with it, but his curiosity and instincts helped him. The pad of his thumb brushed over a hardened peak causing her to moan and arch. The wetness between her legs was becoming hot and swollen. It was almost unbearable. Little jolts of pleasure pierced her lower belly in her arousal as she felt his hardness against the sensitive inside of her thigh.

"Gaara-kun…" she whimpered, and he shuddered at the sound of his name being whispered with such need.

He attached his mouth to the base of her neck, nipping and sucking a path to her pulse. He laved said area roughly, then bit down causing a needy groan to escape the brunette's mouth. Shia's hands wove into his hair and pushed down. He took the signal, kissing his way down her heated skin until he reached the two soft mounds on her chest. Gaara was really just making this up as he went, but it'd felt good when she'd done it to him, and the taste of her skin was as addictive as the little mewls falling from her lips.

"Ahh!" she cried out as his hot mouth surrounded a pink nipple.

Her fingers tightened in his hair as her body arched into his mouth. Without realizing it, she spread her legs wider, brushing their sexes together and eliciting a hiss from both. Gaara could smell the arousal coming from her, it was intoxicating his demon enhanced senses. He lavished her hard nipple with attention and blew on the moistened nub, watching a shiver course through Shia's body. Her silken skin was sweet like the most coveted candy, and it was addictive. He made a mental note of the effects of his little experiment before he claimed her lips again. Her skin was like fire against his, and she'd begun grinding her hips into his slowly. He ground back gasping at the sensation.

"Nnnng…Gaara-kun…I..I need…pant" she started, he looked down at her flushed state.

Her hair laid strewn over the pillow beneath her head; a lovely flush covered her sensitized skin. Her lips hung open in a choppy pant as her half lidded eyes stared up at him with affection, what he assumed was love, lust, and need. His hard cock dripped at the sight of her. He kissed her again, not understanding what she needed.

"What…tell me…" he said grinding into her again, she groaned loudly.

"I need you…" she said, implying both meanings of her words at once. His heart thudded hard, and he felt long forgotten tears sting his lids. 'She wants me...she needs me…' He forced them back however.

"T..tell me what to do," he said, too aroused to be embarrassed about not knowing. Luckily she was a doctor, so she most likely knew already.

Gaara felt her trembling hand grasp his and move it down to her moist sex. She placed his forefinger at the opening to her body, and shivered a little bit. The redhead explored her folds with his fingers for a few seconds, enjoying the way she keened and thrashed her head in pleasure. He kissed the inside of her thigh, up to the juncture between her leg and her pelvis. She trembled violently.

"Nnn…Gaara-kun…y..you have to…stretch me," she said, pressing her entrance against his finger. He looked at her confused.

"I'm…nnngg….it's going to hurt if you don't prepare me first. Y..you have to use your fingers first," she said, and he understood. His finger traced Shia's opening, he was nervous. He didn't want to do it wrong.

"Please…." he heard her whine, and he pushed his forefinger slowly into her.

It was tight and hot. It worried him to think he'd have to fit himself in there. He pumped the finger into her, rubbing at a swollen nub with the pad of his thumb experimentally. She cried out and ground her hips down, taking his finger in deep. Gaara continued to massage her point of pleasure, eventually adding another finger and doing a stretching motion within her. She tensed briefly, and though it worried him that he might be hurting her, he knew she'd at least have to fit three fingers in there if she was going to take him.

"Faster," she breathed, and he quickened the pace, adding a third finger as he jiggled her clitoris with his thumb quickly. She had no time to feel the pain as the pleasure hit her swiftly. It coursed over her body in tingling waves, pooling in her lower abdomen.

"Gaara-kun…I need you now," she moaned. He looked down at her while removing his three fingers.

"Hai…" he murmured, dropping his loose pants and kicking them somewhere far away.

Shia stared at the exposed Kazekage. He was beautiful. There was no other way he could be described. Every muscle wove perfectly together; flexing and rippling under the smooth flawless alabaster skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. His blood red hair lay matted to his face, covering the kanji on his head slightly. His aqua eyes stared intensely down at her glinting with the silver light of the moon. Her eyes traveled over his firm chest, perfectly defined stomach, and down to his rather large, erect cock dripping with precum. She shuddered visibly.

"Shia…stop me now if you want. Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked.

"I love you Sabaku no Gaara, and I always will. This is what I want…" she said, and his heart swelled wonderfully at her words.

"You're so beautiful," he said as he positioned himself at her entrance.

"You are so precious," he murmured, and drove in swiftly.

She cried out, tensing in pain, but he thought that the quicker the pain ended, the less he would hurt her. He'd been gentle, but swift, and now stayed still to let her get used to his girth. His length was squeezed inside an impossibly tight, hot pressure that had his head swimming. Gaara willed himself to remain still, feeling as if he may finish right then and there. He took long, deep breaths as he waited for his new lover to adjust to him. Fortunately, Shia relaxed around him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

"I'm ready…" she whispered, bucking her hips and taking him in deeper.

Gaara started with a slow pace, still afraid of hurting her. Her hot inner muscles contracted and caressed every nerve…every inch of him. It was an amazing feeling, to be connected to someone in the most intimate of ways. She trembled against him, head lolled to the side in her pleasure, mouth hanging open as moans fell from it. He steadily increased his pace, allowing her to rest her leg over his shoulder for the better angle.

"Harder…" she said, and he pulled back so that the tip was the only part of him still inside.

He pounded in hard, the sound of flesh hitting flesh flooding his ears, and the loud cry of the woman beneath him causing him to quicken his pace. He knew he wouldn't last much longer. This was his first time as well, and the tight heat surrounding him was making it difficult for him to keep control. He reached his hand down and rubbed that swollen jewel he'd found earlier, determined to have her finish first.

"Ahnn!" she cried loudly…body bouncing in time with his thrusts. Suddenly she arched up, throwing her head back, her chocolate curls cascading behind her beautifully as she clamped around him tightly.

"Gaara-kun!" she cried out, and he felt a gush of hot liquid as she came.

The pressure was too much for him. He couldn't hold on anymore, and they had forgotten all about the proper precautions. He looked down at her with worried eyes, but she just nodded to him. He came hard, spurting his hot seed deep inside of her. Both knew what the repercussions of this could be. Both knew and yet….both wished secretly that it would. If that was so…she could stay with him. She would be able to stay….because no one would keep a father from his child. Gaara collapsed on top of her, wary not to hurt her with his weight. They lay in silence for a few moments.

He felt her gentle hands playing affectionately with his hair. He moved up to kiss her softly on the lips…still inside of her. Neither really wanted him to withdraw, but he did, moving off the bed into the bathroom. He emerged with a wet hand towel to clean up just a little. After he finished, he lay on the bed, wrapping his arms possessively around the brunette. She sighed into his naked chest, cuddling into him, and pulling the blanket over the both of them. She'd always remember this moment…even if she was forced to marry another. Scratch that...she wouldn't marry someone else. Shia would fight when she returned to Konoha. She wanted Gaara…no on else…and if the Council couldn't see that…she'd leave.

"I love you Gaara-kun," she said, letting sleep take her. He wanted so badly to say those words back to her. But…he didn't know the meaning of those words, and he wanted to mean it when he said it to her.

a/n: and that's all for now!


	20. Test

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 19

Gaara felt wet little kisses being lazily scattered on his shoulder through his state of meditation. Warm fingers traveled lightly over his body, wrapping themselves around his morning 'problem'. Teasingly, the fingers stayed light, just barely grazing the sensitive vein on the underside of his length. Thumb just barely brushing the slit at the top of the head.

"Nnn…" he moaned quietly, opening his blackened lids to send a level stare down at the naked woman in his bed.

Her dark blue eyes stared back up at him with mischief and love swimming in their depths. She smiled at him, placing another soft kiss over his right pectoral. Her warm hand grasped him a little harder. Firmly stroking his hardened member from base to tip and down again.

"Sh-..ia.." he choked out, looking at the time and knowing he needed to start getting ready.

"It's okay Gaara-kun. I'll take care of it for you," she said, smiling adorably, and disappearing underneath the covers.

'Where is she…' (GASP!) Gaara's sea foam eyes snapped open in surprise as he felt himself surrounded by hot wetness. He felt something hot and slightly rough press firmly against the base of his cock and drag itself languidly up the underside. The redhead grasped the sheets, willing himself not to make any noises. It was morning, his siblings would be in the house somewhere. Thank Kami neither woke up so early.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, stuffing his fist into his mouth as a pair of soft lips wrapped themselves around the tip of his penis and sucked gently.

Shia's tongue swept over the head, dipping into the slit and dragging steadily over it. Gaara's breaths became ragged, as he fought to remain silent. She started to bob up and down, swirling her hot tongue over his shaft and sucking strongly on the head. Her talented fingers massaged his balls slowly, causing that almost familiar warmth to settle in his lower belly. His abdomen began to get tight, and then suddenly…a white hot surge of pleasure coursed through his entire body. He came violently into his new lover's mouth, biting into his knuckles almost hard enough to draw blood. He felt her lap up his essence, and pulled the covers away to see her smiling face.

"Is that better?" she asked, a little bit of cum dribbling down her chin. He reached out and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Hn…h..how?" he asked, wondering how she'd managed to get such an explosive orgasm out of him in such a short time. He may not know much about sex, but he could figure out that wasn't normal.

"I'm a medic," she giggled, "perfect chakra control," she finished, wiggling her fingers. He stared at her for a few seconds before what she was insinuating finally registered.

"Oh…" was all he could say, rising…naked…and walking across the room towards his shower. Shia enjoyed the view of his toned, naked backside before it disappeared behind the door, and the shower turned on.

Mission Neji/Tenten

Neji stepped out of the shower of the room as quietly as he could, fastening a towel around his waist. He spared a glance over at the sleeping form of his female teammate. They'd completed the mission, pretty well too he'd like to say. He was happy to see that over the past few days, Tenten seemed to have gotten over her incident with their target. She was a strong girl.

He pulled on his clothes silently, not taking his eyes off the sleeping brunette. Her face was set in a peaceful smile, and her hair was spread around her, mussed from sleep. He'd awoken with her cuddled warmly against his chest. At first he was a little confused, but then he remembered the night before. She'd asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep. Only…he'd stayed all night on accident. 'Well…she doesn't have to know. I don't want to be on the receiving end of Tenten's anger,' he thought briefly. He shuddered at the thought of a thousand kunai being launched at him from one of those scrolls of hers.

"Mnmm…Neji?" he heard a sleepy voice say from the bed.

He was currently wringing the water out of his long hair, and tying it back in the loose ponytail he always wore. Tenten crawled out of the bed sleepily, and trudged over to her bag. Her sleep messed hair hung in disarray around her pretty face as she leaned over to search through it. After digging around and finding her clothes, she turned towards him.

"Gomenasai…I didn't realize how late it was," she said groggily, causing the raven's lips to twitch up in an amused smirk.

"It's fine," he said, and she smiled lazily before closing the bathroom door behind her.

Sabaku Residence

The Godaime Kazekage emerged from his shower to find Shia gone, and a little piece of paper placed on his freshly changed, made bed. He wrapped the towel around his waist securely and went searching through his drawers for clothing. After pulling on a pair of boxers, his tight fighting apparel, and throwing on his Kage robes, he looked down at the note.

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

'Gaara-kun,

I went to make breakfast. I think it'd be a little suspicious if your siblings caught me in your room without clothes on. I'm not sure if you want them to know yet, so I went back to my room to shower and change. When you finish reading this I'll probably be in the kitchen. See you in a few minutes,

Love, Shia'

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

The redhead felt himself smile slightly. She loved him…even if he wasn't ready to say the same to her yet. It felt good to know that there was someone out there who saw past everything and still loved him. He adjusted the uncomfortable robes while heading into the kitchen where Shia stood at the stove cooking eggs. The brunette turned and smiled, placing a plate in front of him and walking over to the screeching tea kettle.

"Your breakfast, Kazekage-sama," she said, placing a cup of tea in front of him and bowing with a cute smile on her face.

"It's okay if you don't call me that," he said quietly, she chuckled, sitting down with her own plate of food.

"I know, I just can't believe that you're Kazekage! I always knew you'd do great things," she said, smiling at him lovingly. Gaara found himself not wanting to see her leave for Konoha in the evening.

"Have you packed your things?" he asked, putting some food into his mouth. Her expression fell very slightly.

"Hai…do you want me out so quickly?" she joked half heartedly. He lifted an invisible brow at her.

"You know that's not true," he said simply, continuing his breakfast.

They ate in silence for a few moments. Each of them thinking of what had happened the previous night and that morning. Neither regretted it. It was an experience that Gaara had resigned himself to knowing he'd never have. Yet...he'd been wrong…she'd given him a precious gift. Something he would cherish. She'd chosen him to take her virginity, and knowing the kind of girl she was, that alone proved her claims of love for him. He really didn't want her to go. There was a knock on the door, but before either of them could stand, Temari walked into the room.

"I'll get it," she drawled, dragging her feet over to the door like a zombie. Both younger teens listened at the table intently.

"Temari-sama," they heard a man greet politely.

"What do you want?" Temari snapped at the Jounin in her doorway. He jumped a little, frightened by her tone, but quickly regained his composure.

"I've come for Akito Shia. She's needed at the hospital it's urgent!" he exclaimed. Shia stood, and strode to the door quickly with Gaara on her heals.

"Akito-sama…Kazekage-sama," the ninja said dipping his head in respect.

"Explain," Gaara ordered, the Jounin nodded.

"Hai Kazekage-sama! An old woman arrived late last night at the hospital in terrible condition. Our medics have done all they could, but they fear they can do nothing else. The Head Medic said to come find Akito-sama and bring her," the Jounin rattled off quickly.

Gaara turned his head to look at Shia who had already rushed out of the room to dress. She came flying back in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, with a white medical coat slung over her shoulder. She grabbed her bag and made it to the door in record time.

"Kazekage-sama, the Head Medic also told me to fetch you to discuss the foreigner. As the leader of the village you are entitled to meet with them all, however, the woman is too sick to leave the hospital," he said, and Gaara nodded. Temari wrote a quick note to Kankurou, and all three of them left for the hospital.

Hokage's Office

"Your report?" Tsunade said looking over Team Guy intently. Maito Guy stepped forward.

"My most prized student Lee and I have found out that Hoshigaki Kisame was considered the 'monster of Kirigakure' and was a renowned member of the Seven Swordsman. He's been with Uchiha Itachi in the Akatsuki for nearly ten years as his partner. Though Kisame is obviously the bigger of the two, the Uchiha is the leader of their two man team. His sword drains chakra, and he is very skilled in water type jutsu," the bowl haircut man explained, handing over his full report scroll.

"I see…and you two?" the Hokage said, turning her eyes on the two 'normal' members of Team Guy. Neji stepped forward.

"The Akatsuki member that was reported to be from Iwagakure remains anonymous. The Tsuchikage covered up his recruitment into the organization's ranks expertly by either silencing or killing all those who knew," he began, the Hokage nodded her head.

"However, Mr. Hokkaido, our target, did disclose to us that he was the last surviving member of his clan. An artist who made beautiful sculptures only to blow them to pieces within seconds. He was skilled with his bloodline, an assassin that left homes charred and in pieces along with the bodies of the deceased. Neji and I have concluded that he uses explosive attacks, though we cannot be sure how, or what he uses to do so," Tenten finished.

Neji moved forward to hand the report scroll to Tsunade. She set it next to the other one, and turned her eyes to the young man who'd given it to her. His pearly white eyes were focused on the brunette girl next to him who was babbling something about a job well done. The blond Hokage could see the tiniest of smiles on the usually stoic Hyuuga's face, while he pretended to be paying attention. Tenten's big brown eyes were warm with energy, happiness, and what Tsunade knew was love. 'Oh to be young and obliviously in love,' the older woman thought watching the cute little exchange. Her heart clenched at the memory of it. 'Dan...'

"It seems you completed the mission perfectly. Good job! You're dismissed until further notice," she said, waving a hand at them and looking down at the mound of paperwork that served as her activity for the day.

"Neji, Tenten! Do you want to come with Guy-sensei and I to run four celebratory laps around the village?" Lee asked. Neji's face became impassive, and Tenten smiled waving her hands furiously in the air.

"Oh no! We promised Hinata-chan we'd come by for tea when we returned from our mission," she lied expertly, "Isn't that right Neji?"

"Hai, Hinata-sama is expecting us," he answered, bowing to the Hokage and grabbing Tenten lightly by the wrist to drag her out before Lee suggested that he join them. 'To be young and in love indeed…' Tsunade thought.

Sunagakure Hospital

Gaara watched his lover flit around the room at an alarming pace. She rushed around taking vitals, temperature, checking the medical charts, mixing herbs and so on. The old woman in the bed was dying, and Shia was trying everything in her power to make sure she lived. He watched as she poured some kind of medicinal mixture down the elder's throat, then place her palms over the barely moving chest as they emitted their green healing energy. He'd never really watched her work like this. When the situation was life or death. He'd never seen Shia save a life, though he knew she'd saved his once. She was nothing short of amazing; shouting orders, hooking up machines, creating medicines in the blink of an eye. He marveled at her…she really had gotten much stronger. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Well…she also looked really adorable in her little doctor coat. He pushed those thoughts away however. She was leaving today, he had to put up his guard. He had to become his usual impassive self, so it wouldn't hurt seeing her leave again. Finally, the old woman's heart beat returned to a normal pace, and her breathing evened out with the oxygen mask's help. Shia walked over looking morbid.

"I…I've done everything I can. She'll live one more day at most. The damage to her lungs is irreversible at this point. The illness…and her age…her body just doesn't have the strength to fight it off. I can't save her, and nor should I. It's her time," Shia said, looking over at her grandmother.

"She's an old woman Shia. I'm sure she'll go happily to her husband," Temari said trying to comfort her sad friend.

"I know. I just wonder…why? Why did she come here? She may have lived another week or so, but she traveled. She traveled knowing the effects it would have on her weakened body," Shia said, confused to hell. It was silent for a few moments.

"I have to go," Gaara announced, fastening his Kage hat over his red head and rising. Shia nodded.

"Me too unfortunately. I've got to get your things into the carriage and prepare for my mission over to Konohagakure. I'll be helping with some preparations for the Chuunin Exams this year, so I'll probably be there for a while. See you two later," Temari said, strolling out the door with a quick wave.

Shia turned to Gaara, who stood before her in all his Kage glory. This was her last day in Suna. She wanted so badly to grab him and hold him. Kiss him, make love to him over and over again like new lovers should. But…she was expected back in Konoha. With her grandmother's eminent death…she was expected to inherit the Clan. He was the Kazekage, the lives of the people in this village depended on him. He gave her a small nod before turning from her, but she shot out a hand to stop him.

The Kazekage froze when her small hand clasped onto his robes. Goodbye was going to be so much harder than he needed it to be. He turned to see sad deep blue eyes staring up at him. Her fist clenched the material of his robe, and she pulled herself into him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her face in the crook of his neck.

"I have to stay here with her. I..I will have to go home. I don't want to, but I have to protect my family. They need a strong leader, and I am all they have. Before you go off and close yourself up into your world of impassiveness. Before you go and force yourself into that cold personality that doesn't hurt when it's time to say goodbye. I want you to know that I love you. I'm going to fight Gaara, because no man could ever take your place. But…before I do that. Before I tell the Council no. I have to know you feel the same way. Think it over thoroughly. I'll be waiting for your decision in Konoha," She said, pulling away slightly and placing a kiss on his lips.

Then she left him in the doorway to contemplate her words. He watched her looking over the vitals again. She'd basically just told him that if he loved her, she'd leave the clan for him. If he decided that he was indeed in love with her…she would refuse her Clan's title as Leader. Love…was truly the most enigmatic emotion. Something that doesn't fade away, something that causes strange sensations to course through the body. Love was wonderful…yet painful at the same time.

'Is this love? Is this the feeling? Knowing that I will have to watch her walk away from me again after we've become so…close. It hurts, is it supposed to hurt? I need to talk to Temari,' Gaara thought walking towards the Kazekage tower. When he got in he immediately sent for his older sister, and waited.

Tenten's House

"I feel a little bad for blowing Lee off. I guess he missed us is all," Tenten said softly while pouring her raven haired companion tea.

"Iie….I don't think he minds. He's happy running laps with Guy-senpai right now. We'll catch up with him later," the Hyuuga replied, lifting the good homemade tea to his lips and taking a relishing sip.

"Hai! We should all eat out tonight with Hinata-chan's team. I'm sure that would make up for us ditching him today," the girl said, sipping at her own.

Neji looked at his teammate. She seemed genuinely worried that they'd hurt Lee's feelings. He knew better however. Lee was weird that way. To him, Maito Guy was a father figure… at the very least an older brother. Spending time alone with Guy made Lee happy. Despite his offer for them to join him, Neji knew he really wanted them to decline. Besides, the young green beast's affections for a certain pink haired Kunoichi were spiraling out of control. He needed advice from an adult, and despite how he may look on the outside, Maito Guy could be very wise at times.

"Ano…I'm worried Neji-kun," Tenten said. His white eyes shifted to her upon his hearing the affectionate suffix again. She'd been using it a lot lately…but…only when they were alone.

"Hn…?" he said, urging her to continue.

"Lee…he…I really think he may be falling for Sakura-chan," she explained, surprising him. 'Do we really think that much alike?' he thought.

"Hn…" he said, sipping his tea again.

"I…Lee may be irritating at times, and he may be a complete Baka a lot, but…he's still our friend. I don't want him to get hurt," she said, her tone laced in concern.

Neji was silent for a few moments. He felt the same. Lee was getting himself into a tough spot falling in love with the Hokage's apprentice. She was in love with the Uchiha traitor. Hopelessly so…though…she'd loved him a long time from what he'd heard. The Hyuuga figured feelings of that magnitude couldn't possibly be ignored so easily. However, the Uchiha left her…he left her for power, and Lee was right here…ready to pick up the pieces. He hoped she could see that soon.

The Uchiha was not coming back anytime soon, and when he did, he faced the wrath of Morino Ibiki. And…most likely…death. Tsunade would not be easy on him because he's the last Uchiha. Most likely she'll have him breed, and then hang him for his betrayal of Konoha. After the pain he put Sakura through, and the pain he put Naruto through, two people that Neji knew the Hokage viewed as childlike figures, Sasuke would not get any mercy. Tenten's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"I can't be angry with Sakura-chan for it," she began, "I don't know if I could be so strong if I was in her situation." she paused.

Her warm brown eyes looked over at him and locked with his own pearly ones. There was something very strong behind those brown eyes. They looked so sad, worried, confused…and afraid. He wanted to reach out and tell her everything would be okay. He wanted to take her into his arms and console her…because…sorrow didn't suit her. But…he held himself still, only nodding his agreement. Tenten was really a compassionate person, despite her tomboyish attitude and sometimes violent nature.

"She's in so much pain right now, and the only one who can save her…just doesn't seem to care. I don't understand how you can do that to a person," Tenten said angrily.

"You know…she tried to stop him. She offered him everything, told him she loved him, and it wasn't enough. The bastard!" she growled, getting furious. Neji reached out a hand and placed it over her wrist. She seemed to calm instantly, looking at him through wide brown eyes.

"I know it frustrates you, but all you can do for your friend is be there for her. This is something that Sakura-san has to figure out on her own. There's nothing we can do. As for Lee…I know that Guy-senpai will guide him in the right direction with his feelings. All we can do is sit back, and support him," the Hyuuga explained.

Tenten considered his words carefully. He was right. It pained her to see Sakura hurting, and know there was nothing she could do. She wasn't frustrated with Sakura per say…Kami knows if it were her. If it were Neji that had left her in search of power. If he had walked away from her after she'd offered him her heart, like it meant nothing…she wasn't so sure she'd be holding up as well. All the brunette could do was watch from the sidelines, and try to guide her younger friend to the right path.

As for Lee, she feared he may actually be in love with the cherry blossom. The thought scared her, because she knew, that no matter how much Sakura grew to love Lee, she'd never be able to commit her heart to him. Sakura's heart would forever belong to Sasuke. Perhaps the younger Kunoichi already knew that, and that's why she'd denied all Lee's advances. Sakura knew Lee was a good guy. Perhaps she thought he deserved more than she could offer.

"Hai…" she said softly, sipping her tea again.

Neji's hand remained over her wrist emitting a comforting warmth. They fell into an easy silence; both thinking about their conversation. Tenten let her eyes fall on her gorgeous partner. It never ceased to amaze her, how utterly beautiful he was. Long raven hair cascaded over broad shoulders, and his piercing moonlike eyes seemed to see straight into her soul. She reached out, letting some of the silken raven hair that had strayed from his ponytail slide through her fingers. It was just as she'd thought it would be; soft and smooth. She wanted to just sit there and run her fingers through it all day.

"Tenten…" she heard, and she turned her brown eyes to lock with intense opal.

"Neji-kun…" she said softly, hoping she wasn't imagining the flash of those almost lavender tinted eyes.

"Can I…would you let your hair loose?" she asked, barely suppressing a blush.

The Hyuuga sent her a confused look, but reached behind him to pull the hair tie loose anyway. Tenten moved behind him, and dragged her fingers from scalp to end of the mass of obsidian satin. She threaded through it slowly, wanting to bury her face in its velvety texture and breath in his masculine scent. The brunette girl slid a little closer to his back, parting her knees to rest on either side of his waist. She vaguely registered that the inside of her thighs were gently pressed against his strong legs.

Neji felt himself relax against her, unbeknownst to most, he loved it when people played with his hair. His back came in contact with her chest, and he closed his pearly eyes to revel in the feel of her fingers combing through his long locks. He didn't speak. He didn't want to ruin this moment. It was so intimate…and sweet. He wanted to pull her down and kiss her, but he restrained his teenage hormones. Yes, Hyuuga Neji had hormones folks, he was a sixteen year old boy after all.

"Neji-kun…." he heard her sigh, and her soft lips came in contact with his temple.

He stayed still, not wanting to break whatever trance Tenten might be in. Ever since their mission they'd shared a few caring caresses. They'd kissed, briefly….but hadn't talked of it at all. He would allow her freedom for now. The Hyuuga wanted to see just what the girl would do as long as he allowed it. Her smooth hands shyly traced the contours of his face. Warm fingers traced over his eyes, nose, cheekbones, and slightly parted lips.

Soft lips came in contact with the top of his head, and he felt her fingers loosening the tie of his forehead protector. Neji almost pulled away, ashamed of the cursed mark underneath. Tenten didn't allow him that freedom however, as she placed a warm, moist kiss over the X of his branch mark. It was such a tender gesture. So affectionate, he felt his heart well up, but held himself still. Gentle kisses fell over his closed lids, and he felt her pressure him to turn in her arms slightly. Finally, he opened his eyes. Moonlike orbs held warm chocolate for a few seconds. He could hold back no longer.

Tenten's eyes slid closed as Neji leaned in. This was the moment she'd been daydreaming about since she'd first laid eyes on him. She felt his lips meet hers firmly, confidently…just like everything else he ever did. She responded by snaking her arms around his neck, and pressing herself flush against him. His arms came to rest around her slim waist, one sliding up her back to cup the back of her head as he opened his mouth over hers. She let his tongue slide into her mouth, and melted completely.

"Neji.." she murmured, "I love you…"

Sunagakure Hospital

"Baasan excuse me for my rudeness, demo…WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING COMING HERE IN THAT CONDITION?!" Akito Shia screamed at the frail old woman in the bed. Said elder just chuckled quietly while nurses and doctors scurried for cover.

"Shia…I was told by the clan medic I'd only last another day or so, but I fought hard to make it here, and here I am," she said quietly. Tears came into her granddaughter's eyes.

"But Baasan…you should've stayed home. You should've waited for me," the brunette said softly.

A sad smile came to her grandmother's face. It was a smile Shia knew all too well. She'd seen it on her dying mother's face years ago on that night she'd lost her parents. It was the smile of a woman who knew she was about to die.

"Shia…I wouldn't have been strong enough by the time you got home. I came here by carriage with desert horses. I knew that it would make my condition worse but I also knew you had the skill to keep me alive long enough to test you," the old woman explained. Shia's eyes widened.

"You know…you look more and more like your mother every time I see you," the elder added, and her granddaughter smiled sadly.

"Baasan, does this mean..?"

"Hai, help me out of here. Your Inheritance Test starts in a half hour," the elder said. Shia stood stunned for a moment, and turned on her heal to shout orders out the door.

"Get a wheelchair and a decent medic in here now!"she yelled.

Training Field 1

"Alright Shia, part one…our signature Akito Clan fire jutsu," her grandmother called from across the field.

A small crowd had formed around the training field. Villagers craned their necks to see what this foreign ninja was about to do. Shia stood still, closing her eyes and raising her energy. She wore her flame retardant suit and gloves, hands clasped together as she began to mold her chakra. She fluctuated the temperature experimentally, warming up her chakra control abilities before she'd actually start the jutsu.

Temari and Kankurou saw a rather large crowd of villagers pooled around the training fields. They exchanged confused looks, and both turned to their younger brother whom decided to spend his lunch hour with them. The redhead looked vaguely interested in what was going on over there, and both siblings silently rejoiced when he altered his course to make his way to the crowd.

Gaara could feel a familiar chakra signature fluctuating rapidly in exercise. He wondered what she was doing out here. People moved immediately upon seeing him, whispering greetings and "Kazekage-sama's" as he passed. When he finally made it to the front of the crowd, he saw Shia, standing in her tight fighting outfit, and concentrating hard on her chakra. After glancing around he caught sight of the Akito elder who was supposed to be in the hospital, and that's when it hit him. This could only be one thing. The Clan Elder was only to live for a few more hours. Shia was being tested.

Shia felt the familiar auras of the Sand Siblings from in front of her and smiled. After cooling her chakra one last time she began the difficult series of hand signs. As she did this she gradually increased the temperature of her chakra. She increased the speed of her signs, her body grew hotter and hotter. Finally, she felt herself on the brink of her tolorance of heat. At 400 degrees celcius (752 f) she released her chakra from every point in her body.

"Odori no hinote(dance of flames)!" she cried out, fire bursting from her slim form and flailing wildly around her.

The crowd gasped, and grew silent as they watched. Flames engulfed the young woman's entire body as she gracefully wove her hands above her like a gypsy. Her body curled and rolled rhythmically without music, as the flames obeyed her every command. When her hand flew back, the flames shot in an arc above her head. She rolled her abdomen from her hips to her shoulders, arching back and throwing a leg in the air in front of her.

The flames caressed her body, almost lovingly, and she twirled, throwing both hands out to the side, sending the flames flying towards the walls of the neighboring buildings. With a curl of her hands she kept the fire from devouring said buildings. Finally she spun around, her arms following in graceful lines behind her and crossing into her chest as the fire died out. She stayed still for a few moments, gaining her breath. When she stood she turned to her proud looking grandmother.

"As expected," the old woman smiled. Shia chuckled turning to the cheering crowd. It seemed to have gotten bigger and she felt herself flush.

"Ano…Baasan? What's next?" she asked, eyes settling on the young redheaded Kazekage in the front of the crowd. He stared back at her evenly, though she could detect a bit of pride in those intense aqua eyes.

"You have to pass the medical test. It won't be easy. I've chosen a very difficult patient for you, but I think that you can handle it," her grandmother said. Shia nodded, and the crowd began to dissipate, realizing that there'd be no more show for today.

"If you three want to watch we'll be in the Trauma Unit of the Hospital," the old woman said, breaking into a coughing fit. Shia rushed to her side, patting her on the back and filtering some healing chakra into her system. 'You'll make a fine Head of the family Shia,' the old woman thought. The younger grasped the handles on the chair only to find a tan hand come in contact with hers. She looked up to see Temari's smiling green eyes.

"I'll take her back if you want. I wanna talk to her a bit anyway," the blond said, and after a short, confused pause, Shia nodded.

She watched as Temari and Kankurou walked away with her grandmother. She strode forward only to have her wrist grabbed, and be pressed against something hard and warm. Sand swirled around her. She looked up into the eyes of Sabaku no Gaara. They stared at each other in the midst of the whirlwind of sand he'd created for a few moments. His pale hand came to rest on her cheek, she leaned into his touch. The brunette closed her eyes and placed a kiss against his wrist. This was it. She would be inheriting the clan in a manner of hours. Gaara knew she'd pass. She would return to Konoha to fulfill her duty to her family.

Everything he wanted to say to her, all the emotions he felt swirled confusingly inside of him. He couldn't….he couldn't bring himself to say any of it. Their lives were going down two separate paths. He didn't want to burden her…he wanted her to be happy. She would be a good leader for her Clan. To tell her…that…he loved her would only make things harder on them both. Especially since he wasn't even sure if it was true yet. He almost didn't want to know. Temari had explained to him that the feelings he was experiencing were indeed associated with love, even if he had refused to disclose any real details pertaining to the reason he was feeling them. He almost wanted to deny that, just to spare Shia the pain of having to choose. They could not be together…how would that work? She shouldn't have to make that choice. Him or her family? It was just unfair.

So he leaned down, and took her lips under his softly. She reacted immediately, weaving her arms around his neck, and tangling her fingers in his soft red locks. Gaara wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Shia's warmth surrounded him, her scent filled his nose, and the love radiating off of her made his heart pound. His body was aching for her to stay with him. In his mind, he felt Shukaku raging about all of his confusion. No…he would definitely think about this. How could he pass a woman who so freely gave him her heart?

"I'll see you at the gates…" he said, squeezing her one last time and stepping away from her.

"Hai…" she answered in a soft voice, and he disappeared in a whirlwind of sand. She glanced around. 'Sunagakure Trauma Unit' the door said, so she pushed it open to find her grandmother, Kankurou, and Temari waiting for her at some patient's bed.

"This is the one Shia," the old woman said.

Shia walked over to the bed, glancing at both elder sand sibling's faces. Both looked morbid. The brunette looked into the bed to see a small child in very sad condition. She could be no older than five or six and was covered from the neck down in disfiguring burns. Her breaths came in weak shuddering rasps. Just by looking at her Shia could tell that the little girl's lungs were severely damaged, and with that she could have some brain damage due to lack of oxygen.

"My mission?" Shia asked, turning to the old woman in the wheelchair. Her grandmother smirked up at her.

"Heal this child's burns, lungs, and brain tissue so that she can live as normal life as possible," the woman said, and her brunette granddaughter turned back to the bed.

This was going to be a difficult task. She began the analysis immediately. The girl's pulse was steady, if a little weak. Her lungs sounded raspy, even without a stethoscope. Shia opened her eyes, to shine a light. The pupils dilated, letting her know that the child's sight was fine. Quickly the young medic went about the normal reflex tests, content to see that there was only a slight reaction time problem. The damage to the girl's brain was not severe, and Shia knew she could heal it easily. For this reason, she started with a chakra infused hand, at the sleeping child's temples. She focused on reconnecting the nerves, rearranging the slightly astray electric signals back on course, and healing the damaged tissue to its original strength.

"I need bandages, a scalpal, the ointment in my bag, and these medicinal herbs," Shia ordered, scribbling down the plant names, and handing it to Temari.

The blond nodded and rushed off. Kankurou went off to her bag, while her grandmother handed her a scalpel. She continued working on the damaged brain tissue. The chakra leaked at a steady pace from her hand reconnecting, and livening the dying tissue. Finally she felt the neuro-cells reacting, stimulated and lastly…multiplying. There were a few twitches in the girl's body, showing the return to normalcy in her nervous system. Shia, content with her neuro-healing, backed away to examine the burns.

They were severe, and numerous. Charred wounds lined the young girl's body almost from her head to her toes. 'Alright….burns are the hardest thing to heal other than spinal chord injuries. This will take a lot of chakra, and a lot of time. If I scrape the burnt skin off, though harsh as skinning a person may seem, I know I can regenerate the skin cells, and the burns will be gone. I'll need to numb her, and put her into complete unconciousness. I have about three fourths of my chakra left, so I'll have to do this slowly, and pace my chakra use in a timely fashion. I also have to remember to save some chakra in the end to heal her lungs. I can do this…' Shia thought.

"Alright…I need a needle, the blue vial in my bag, and an anesthesia mask," she said.

The make-shift helper rushed to find said objects while Shia fitted the anesthesia mask her grandmother handed to her over the girl's small face. She was careful not to use too much. The girl was small, too much of this could most definitely cause damage. She dipped the needle, handed to her by Kankurou, in some rubbing alcohol to clean it and stuck it into the blue vial full of numbing medication. Gently she lifted a charred arm off the hospital bed, piercing it with the needle, and allowing the medication to flow into the girl's veins. After finishing, she placed the needle back in the rubbing alcohol and turned towards her audience. Temari had placed the herbs down on the counter.

"This part is going to be hard to watch. I'm going to have to basically skin her little by little. I suggest you both leave," she said quietly. The two sand shinobi looked confused and slightly disgusted.

"Skin her?" Kankurou asked, face looking a little green.

"Hai…this skin is burned beyond repair. I can not heal this. I don't even think Tsunade-sama could heal this. The best decision I can make in this situation is to rid her of the damaged skin, and regenerate new cells to replace it," Shia explained. Temari stepped forward, grabbing her brother by the arm.

"Be careful, that sounds like it'll take a lot of chakra. Don't hurt yourself," the blond said. The younger girl nodded, and the eldest sand sibling dragged her younger brother out of the room.

"Baasan, how are you feeling?" Shia asked. The old woman nodded her head, signaling she was fine and told her to proceed. Shia took the scalpel in hand, pressing it against the charred skin. Slowly she carved the skin from the girl's shoulder, careful not to dig too deep. It would be a long, exhausting process, so she braced herself.

Tenten's House

Tenten and Neji lay on the roof of her house staring at the sunset. A few hours ago, she'd finally found the courage(between their kisses), to tell him how she truly felt. What she didn't expect was for him to return said feelings. Her mind was still reeling from the kiss they'd shared. Neji wanted to be with her, and visa versa. She just couldn't believe it.

"Tenten, Hinata-sama is waiting for us at the restaurant now," Neji said softly, not moving from their comfortable position. The brunette girl in his arms sighed softly.

"Hai…we should get going then Neji-kun," she said, but still neither moved. They were silent for a few more moments, both watching the last sun rays disappear beneath the horizon.

"I want to keep this quiet for a while Tenten," Neji said quietly, referring to their newly established relationship.

"Hai…I think that's a good idea. For Lee's sake. The last thing he needs to see is his two best friends happy and in love with his own love troubles," she said quietly, and the Hyuuga marveled at her ability to understand exactly what he was thinking at all times. Both teens rose and leaped off the roof to start their way to the Barbaque Restaruant.

Sunagakure Trauma Unit

Shia sighed down at her patient. It'd been hours, and the sun was gone from the desert, but…the child would live. The young medic tied the last of the bandages tight and stepped back to wipe her brow with a towel. She sighed loudly. It was done. She'd successfully disposed of the charred skin and regenerated cells for new skin. Though the little girl looked like a mummy right now, in about four months, she would have fresh, nearly scar free skin. The brain damage had been minimal, and easily healed.

The lungs, however, would always be slightly week, and the little girl would have to take medicine for it for the rest of her life. They'd been damaged for so long, it was impossible to heal them to complete normalcy. However…medication for weak lungs was better than death. This girl was not a shinobi so weak lungs, with the medication she'd be receiving, would not hinder her too badly. Shia walked over to the door and beckoned both the elder Sand Siblings in.

"Baasan, I have finished," Shia said quietly. The two other teens in the room looked at the bandaged girl, who despite her appearance, was breathing much easier, and seemed a little stronger.

"Well done my dear…cough…congratulations…pant…you've passed your inheritance test. cough cough" the old woman managed, slumping against the chair in her coughing fit. Shia rushed over, both Sand Siblings following suit and helping the Akito elder into the empty bed in the room.

"Rest Baasan. You've pushed yourself too hard as it is," the young girl said with tears in her eyes. The old woman smiled that hated smile again.

"I'm very proud of you Shia. wheeze You will be great," she said, eyes fluttering closed. Temari gasped.

"Don't worry, she's just asleep," she said, turning to them.

"Kankurou…let's leave her for now. You've got to go report to Gaara, and I have to finish getting everything ready for their departure," Temari said, and for once…her brunette brother just obeyed.

"Goodbye Baasan…I love you," she said, a sparkling tear making its lone path over her right cheek.

Those were the last words she would ever speak to her grandmother. Shia knew the old woman would not make it through the night. The brunette stared down at the woman who'd raised her. All the memories of her running through her mind. When her parents died. When she moved in with her grandparents. Her first successful medic-nin mission. Everything…the good and the bad.

She was no stranger to grief. Fate had taken so much from her already, and for some reason….it just seemed like…destiny wasn't through making her suffer. So many people she cared about were either gone, or in serious danger…her parents…her grandparents…Saindaime-sama. Naruto-kun from the Akatsuki. She didn't know what Uchiha Itachi wanted from the blond, but whatever it was it couldn't be good for Naruto. Even Sakura…one of her best friends…was in danger from herself. She would fight when she got to Konoha. She couldn't let fate take Gaara away from her. For once, she was going to fight for something that made HER happy. She looked back at her grandmother.

'It looks like we'll be here until morning Baasan. Though I know you won't wake when the sun rises. I have to go see Gaara, but I'll be back. I love him so much Baasan. Do you think I should go to him?' she asked in her mind, and as if she'd heard her the Akito elder's lips settled into a peaceful smile. 'Thank you…' Shia thought, rushing out of the door.


	21. Gaara's Abduction

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 20

Shia stood in front of the crowd of her Clan watching as they lowered her grandmother's casket into the ground of the Clan Cemetery. For so many years it'd been just her and her grandparents. Now…they were both gone. She said a final goodbye silently, and then stepped forward to make her speech.

"Akito Shizuka was a loving friend, grandmother, mother, and an amazing medic-nin. Her accomplishments in the field of neuro-surgery will never be forgotten, and as the new Head of the Akito Clan, I fully intend to continue her research. Baasan was my friend, my grandmother, and my teacher all wrapped in one person. It's hard to believe that she's gone now. I hope that she will be remembered as the amazing person she was. I hope to one day be as great as she was. Thank you for sharing your condolences and prayers with us on this morbid day. That is all," the young brunette said, bowing and stepping down.

People walked by either nodding or quietly voicing their best wishes as they passed. All her friends were present, save Naruto, because the end of his two and a half years with Jiraiya-sama was still a few months away. Shia stood strong. Of course…she'd cried…she'd cried all the way home in the carriage. She'd cried so much that Temari actually forced her to stop. The blond sand Kunoichi was afraid she'd dehydrate herself. Now, however, in front of her clan she had to stay strong. For them, for the children in the clan who sat crying over the elder's demise. She had to be a leader now. She had to keep it together so that when they looked at her…it would give them strength.

"Shia-sama, we wish to meet with you after supper in regards to your new position," one of the council members said to her.

She nodded silently, and they left her. She stood still in front of her grandmother's grave as they started filling the hole. The sound of dirt hitting the wooden casket was the only sound in the cemetery other than the dull hum of various sobbing that was drifting away with the crowd. The scent of the newly disturbed, slightly moist soil pierced her nose. Her brain seemed to slow down the shovel so that she could see each grain fall ungracefully onto the shining ebony casket.

She knew what the council wanted. They'd found her a husband…but…she didn't want to think about that now. She didn't want their rich snobby man who would bring with him wonderful connections in their union. She wanted only one. Her thoughts drifted back to her last night in Suna. She'd gone to Gaara at Kazekage Tower to say her farewells. What she would give to be with him tonight instead of meeting a husband she didn't want.

(Flashback)

He crushed his mouth to hers possessively, pouring all of the confusing emotions he felt into the kiss. Tearing at her clothes, he lifted her up to sit on his desk and spread her long, slender legs. She shivered as he caressed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs with calloused fingers. His tongue mapped out the moist cavern of her mouth diligently as he grabbed her buttocks and smashed their body's together, grinding deliciously into her groin.

"Gaara.." she moaned, tossing her head back and weaving her small hands into his scarlet locks.

The Kazekage attached his mouth to the sensitive spot on her neck and bit down, tearing a shuddering groan from the girl against him. Shia had began to undulate her hips against him, teasing the head of his clothed member with her wet, pantied opening. His hand slid down to rub her through her underwear, his ears reveling in the little mewls of ecstasy that escaped her pretty lips. This was the last night he'd see her for a long time. This was the last night she would be fully his until he made up his mind. He was almost positive he loved her, but he was not ready to say it yet.

Something held him back. His heart was screaming yes, but his mind, and Shukaku, were telling him 'not yet'. Well Shuaku had blatantly screamed NO in his mind over and over. Somehow he felt that if he were to tell her now, something would happen. Every time he'd ever been happy in the past, something always ruined it. When he started to love people, they shunned him, and he didn't want her to be the same. He felt a little guilty for not trusting her. His family trusted her, his best friend trusted her…he just couldn't. His ability to trust had been so badly scarred after Yashamaru, he wasn't sure it'd ever be okay. So, he couldn't tell her just yet, but he wanted to show her at least. He wanted to give her a lasting memory of him, as a reason to fight her council.

Gaara pulled off those lacy little underwear, pushing a strong finger inside of her, and rubbing his thumb against that swollen bundle of nerves that caused her to see stars. She was impressed at what a fast learner her lover was. It was as if he'd memorized every sweet spot on her body, and formed a plan of attack on how to make her head swim. Another finger entered her, catching the slow rhythm of the first as they were thrust within her. With his other hand he'd began to disrobe her. He wanted to see every inch of her soft, sweet smelling skin.

"Gaara-kun…what about..?" she started, but just arched up and moaned loudly when he bit down on a nipple.

"Don't worry about it….the door's locked suck… and I'm expecting no onenibble…" he managed.

The redhead continued his slow worship of her body. Silently laving every inch of skin with his hot tongue, and showering kisses over her firm abdomen. His hands moved up to cup the two soft globes of her breasts in his palms. He kneaded them softly before dragging his nails over her stomach, pausing briefly to toy with her belly button, and submerging, now three fingers into her warmth. Again she arched into him, keening loudly while lifting her legs to rest on his shoulders. Gaara nipped a path across her right thigh while trailing his free fingers over the left, loving the way she trembled.

"Gaara…nn..gasp," she tried to beg, and despite the fact that it wasn't very decipherable, he got the message. For a moment he stared at her wet opening…'I wonder if…' (GOD this is hot!) Shukaku exclaimed in his head, Gaara forced him back yet again. The demon, try as he might, couldn't gain control and resigned himself to pout in a dark corner of the redhead's mind. Gaara looked up at Shia with curious eyes.

"Shia…" she looked down at him lustily, "could I…use my…um.." he stumbled, a little embarrassed about asking such a question. Good thing he was already flushed from their activities. She seemed to understand though.

"Nnng…yes! Please!" she cried.

Experimentally he ran his tongue along the folds of her sex. Her legs spread wider, and he placed his hands on her hips in order to keep her still. Gaara wrapped his lips around her clit, sucking hard, then tweaking it with his tongue. She started to writhe under his firm grasp. The Kazekage let his tongue penetrate her, finding the taste of her rather pleasant, and sucking on her little jewel sharply. Shia's head smacked loudly against the desk as she threw her head back violently.

"FUCK!" she screamed, confusing him a little bit. He'd never heard her use such foul language. He paused, and looked up at her, unsure of what to do. Had he done something wrong?

It took Shia a few moments to realize he'd stopped his oral attack on her lower regions. After a few deep breaths she opened her eyes to stare into lusty, confused, and slightly worried teal orbs. Gaara stood, leaning over her to capture her lips in a tender, apologetic kiss.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and she just stared at him confused for a few seconds.

"Gaara-kun, why wouldn't I be okay?" she said through her panting. His jade eyes averted to the floor.

"Y..you swore…I thought I.." he trailed.

Suddenly she understood. She sat up abruptly, wrapping her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist. She kissed him hard, coaxing his tongue into her mouth to begin a tender dance. She could taste herself in his mouth, but somehow mixed with his own exotic flavor, it was just fine. Slowly she trailed her lips over his jaw line, pulse…hollow.

"No…I'm okay..kiss you did everything right," she murmured against the artery of his neck. He let out a long breath. 'So swearing isn't necessarily bad,' he noted in relief. (You're an idiot) Shukaku murmured before being shoved away forcefully by the redhead's mind. Shukaku, Shia, and sex did not mix well. He forced the demon down far into his mind.

"Gaara-kun…I love you," she said, leaning her forehead against his suddenly bare chest. 'When did she get my clothes off,' he thought, wrapping his arms securely around her body and holding her.

They stayed that way for a while. She was happy in his arms. She felt safe, and loved, even if he wasn't ready to say it yet. She hadn't expected him to understand right way. He'd spent such a long time thinking that to feel alive he had to kill. Thinking that nobody could ever or would ever love him. Not even his family. He'd been alone since he came into the world, having only his untrustworthy uncle's explanation of love to go on. No…she didn't expect him to know whether he was in love with her or not. Nor did she expect him to be able to say so if he was. His body…the way he held her, the way he touched her, and kissed her…all that let her know exactly what he was feeling.

He lifted her to the desk once again, and positioned himself in the cradle of her parted thighs. His weeping length brushed her opening in an agonizingly delicious way. Shia felt him slide into her slowly, kissing her face tenderly and starting up a slow, gentle rhythm. When he drew out, she expected him to move a little faster, thrust a little harder. However, that never came. With only his head still submerged, he pushed in slowly again. Inch by inch he entered her, allowing his hard member to caress every nerve ending inside of her body. She shivered at the intimate, but utterly amazing feeling of being filled so deliberately. The look on his face was pure bliss. Shia liked when his guard was down. She liked when emotion came to his all too handsome face. There it was, in the throes of passion. They made love tenderly for what seemed like hours…when it was over, Gaara sat them both in his chair, and held her until she slept.

(end flashback)

"Shia-chan…the girls and I are having a get together later to celebrate Shizuka-baasan's life. It wouldn't be complete without you there," Sakura's voice said.

Shia looked at her pink haired friend. She felt herself nod, and with a worried look from Sakura's green eyes the pinkette turned away. The Akito Head needed some time alone at the grave of her grandmother. She fell to her knees, letting the tears fall, and chanting goodbye in her mind over and over. She felt the soggy soil under her stocking clad legs. Now that the others had gone, she allowed herself to grieve openly.

For a while, she cried silently. When there were no more tears left to shed….she got up, wiping her eyes, and walked in the direction of the Akito complex. She left only a desert rose in her wake…the rose Gaara had snuck into her things before she left. So many people in her life were gone. If only the gods were satisfied with what they'd already taken from her.

(Two months Later)

Shia was hanging out with Sakura and Naruto, who'd just returned from his training with Jiraya. They were at…you guessed it…the ramen shop of course. Naruto talked animatedly about his travels and training. Both girls listened silently as they ate. He'd been through some tough training, but both of them could tell he'd benefited from it greatly. Shia smiled gently at her blond friend. He seemed to have changed a lot, and was undoubtedly stronger than before. She slurped her noodles as neatly as one can slurp noodles, as Naruto continued on.

"He actually hasn't changed at all inside. He's still a perverted little prankster," Sakura whispered to Shia. Said brunette choked on her noodles a little as she stifled a giggle. Her stomach did an uncomfortable, 'you're going to vomit', flip, but she ignored it.

"What did you expect? He trained with Jiraya-sama," she replied quietly. Sakura laughed.

"Oi! What's so funny over there? Here I am telling you about my amazing adventures and you two aren't even listening!" Naruto accused loudly while pouting.

"Gomen Naruto-kun!" Shia said giggling, the blond just pouted and continued talking with his mouth full.

The taste of nausea entered her mouth as she continued to eat. She forced it down however, anxiety had been causing her to eat and sleep less lately. The lack of healthy behavior was taking its toll on her now. However, this was a perfect chance to get some much needed food. She ignored her stomach, and instead turned her attention on her pink haired friend.

Sakura seemed to be a lot better. Whatever had happened in the last couple of months had definitely helped the pinkette a lot. 'Perhaps her shishou had a word with her,' Shia thought. The Akito Head was happy to see that her friend had become so strong in more than one way. Though she knew Sakura would never give up on Sasuke, it was obvious the Hokage's apprentice had found a better way to deal with her feelings. Raw determination seemed to be the emotion taking over for depression. It was definitely a good change.

Suddenly the table Shia was sitting at became obscured in her vision, and the shop started to spin. She clutched her head, eyes rolling back…almost falling to the ground. Two strong arms caught her before she hit. For a few seconds she felt like her legs were made of jelly. She was light headed and felt as if her eyes were crossed. When her vision finally cleared, she saw a pair of worried, sky blue eyes looking down at her.

"Ne…Shia-chan? Are you okay?" Naruto asked. Sakura was immediately beside her.

"What happened?" the medic said. Shia just shook her head dismissively while forcing herself to stand.

"I just got a little dizzy that's all," she said, smiling weakly at them. Sakura's green eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Have you not been sleeping?" the rosette asked. Shia nodded slightly.

"I've been pretty stressed out. The Council found me a husband, and I refused him. They haven't let me rest since," she explained, and both sets of eyes widened.

"I…I thought you were willing to have an arranged marriage for the sake of your clan," Sakura said, throwing her words back at her. Shia chuckled, images of fiery red hair and teal eyes flooding her mind.

"I changed my mind," she uttered simply. Sakura looked at her in confusion.

"What caused that?" Naruto asked. Shia smiled a dazed looking smile, one Sakura knew all too well.

"I don't want to give up on love Naruto-kun," she answered, he looked confused for a second, but just decided to ignore it. If she wanted him to know she would have given him a straight answer.

"Oi Sakura-chan, we gotta go meet Kakashi-sensei for our test," the blond said, Sakura sent one more suspicious look back at her friend before nodding and running off with her teammate. Shia made her way towards the Hyuuga Estate. Tea time with Hinata should be fun.

Kazekage Tower: Some Hours Later

Gaara sat at his desk amongst a flood of paperwork all needing his signature. Being Kazekage had its rewards, however, things like this 'paperwork' stuff just infuriated him. 'Whoever invented paperwork should burn in hell,' he decided quietly. The Council had also been harping on him about getting a wife. They thought it would help him control Shukaku better, but really, it just made him angry.

The real reason behind the idea of this arranged marriage was to offer him as a kind of peace keeper between Sunakgakure and one of the countries they weren't so close with. If he married some daimyo's daughter, the chances of an attack from said country would be minimal. It made no sense to him. An arranged marriage to one nation's heiress just meant the other nations would either feel offended or like they were being plotted against. Besides, no one could help him suppress Shukaku but himself. No woman should have to bear that burden. He sighed, thinking of Shia. 'The guy who made up arranged marriages should burn to,' he thought.

He turned to look out the window of his office. The sun was setting over the desert, painting the sky in lovely golds, oranges, and scarlets. It was then, while he was admiring the beauty of his home, that he saw something odd. It looked to be a rather large bird. 'We don't have birds like that in Sunagakure' he thought to himself.

He decided he'd go check things out. It could be nothing, so there was no sense in getting everyone all worked up about it just yet. The redhead pulled off his Kage robes, and headed out the door in his fighting clothing. The paperwork would just have to wait for now. There weren't birds like that in Sunagakure, he'd never seen a bird like that in any other village he'd ever visited. It could be a sign, and he was going to figure it out.

Hyuuga Estate: Main House

"So how has your training been going Hinata-chan?" Shia asked. The raven haired girl smiled.

"Neji-niisan has been training with me, and more recently my own father. I even hit him a couple of times. H..he….he said th..that I was improving," Hinata answered.

"Wow! That's great!" Shia exclaimed, knowing that perhaps tied only with Naruto's acceptance, she wanted her father to accept her.

"Y..yea…Hokage-sama has been sending m..my team out on a lot of missions l…lately," she added. Shia took a sip of her tea, and felt her stomach lurch in discomfort.

"Th..that's good. It'll give you some more experience," she said uncomfortably. Of course, Hinata picked up on it right away.

"A…are you alright?" the Hyuuga Heiress asked. Shia nodded.

"I'm fine. Anxiety has my insides churning lately," she said.

"Why is that?" the other girl asked. Shia sighed.

"I refused the husband they chose for me," she answered quietly. Hinata gasped.

"Wh..what was w..wrong with him?" she asked.

"Nothing really. He's the son of a daimyo in fire country. He was a perfect gentleman, and I'm sure he'd make a good husband, I just…well…I" Shia stumbled, but Hinata could tell.

"You're in love," she said quietly, and Shia's dark blue eyes shot up to lock with her own lilac ones. Hinata had always been a perceptive girl.

"H..how?" the medic asked astounded. The shy girl chuckled softly.

"Have y..you forgotten that I've been hiding m..my love for N..Naruto-kun for years?" Hinata asked, and Shia smiled.

"You can't tell anyone," she said, and Hinata nodded.

"O..of course not. Who is it?" she asked. Shia hesitated for a moment.

"Alright…but you can't say anything to anyone!" she said. The raven smiled and nodded again.

"It's….Gaara-kun," she almost whispered, and those opal eyes widened. Shia blushed. The nausea from earlier came back with a vengeance, but Shia fought it adamantly.

"Gaara-san?" she repeated in shock.

"H..hai," Shia said, her stomach dancing wildly within her. It tightened painfully.

Shia ran, muttering an 'excuse me' as she rushed to the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet and released everything. She coughed and sputtered as she continued to throw up. 'This isn't good,' she thought as Hinata rushed in with a frantic expression. The Hyuuga knelt next to her, Byakugan activated, looking over her body.

"Shia-chan, come on. You should lay down," Hinata said, cleaning up the other girls face with a towel and helping her to a futon.

"Hinata-chan…I need your help," the brunette said quietly, looking scared. Hinata nodded gravely looking the girls' body over with her Byakugan. Anxiety had done much more terrible things to Shia's body than she thought.

"We should take you to Tsunade-sama," the shy girl said, but the medic shook her head fiercely.

"No! Don't bother her. It's nothing, I just need to start eating better…I just need some rest," she said, smiling weakly. The Hyuuga Heiress frowned.

"Hai, you rest, I'll make something to eat," she said, rising with and walking to the door with the grace of an aristocrat. 'Oh Shia-chan, what have you done?' the raven haired girl thought as she slid the screen door shut.

Sunagakure

Kankurou stood on top of Kazekage tower watching his brother fight an anonymous Akatsuki member. This couldn't be good. These were the same people who were after Uzumaki Naruto, and though he wasn't completely sure why, Naruto and Gaara were too much alike for the puppet master not to think the blond missing-nin was after his brother. He watched as his redheaded little brother fought in the sky, wielding Shukaku's strength like some kind of weapon. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Baki.

"We have to prepare for the worst. Gaara is using his ultimate defense sand to fight, so we have to assume the enemy is highly skilled. The villagers could be in danger if the worst should happen," Baki said, referring to the sand incarnation that was trapped within their leader. Kankurou glanced around at the village folk. He thought back to the conversation he'd had on the cliff-side just before Gaara had left for training.

"Iie, Gaara will not hurt the villagers…no matter what," the brunette said confidently, watching as the villagers cheered their leader on. 'We need you Gaara, we all need you. You're the Kazekage,' he thought watching his brother hopefully.

Gaara was getting tired. Bending Shukaku to his will took a lot of strength, and a lot of chakra. The enemy was too skilled and he hadn't the proper time to come up with a battle strategy. All he could do right now was protect himself and his village, while chasing the blond with sand. In reality, the redhead hadn't enough battle experience, in which he actually had to fight, to be prepared for someone of this skill while protecting an entire village. One on one, easily he could defeat the Akatsuki bomb specialist. Now, however, the lives of his villagers were in danger, and he had to keep an eye out for them as well as himself.

'I'm running low on chakra, even with Shukaku's help. I've got to finish this soon,' he thought. His eyes widened as a huge clay figure hovered over his village.

"This is my specialty…yeah," the nameless blond said, lowering the giant bomb over the village.

Gaara's eyes widened, and he felt himself panic slightly. That explosion could easily destroy half the village. He watched it lower over the village. He had only enough chakra for one thing. He could.. A...do nothing about this bomb, and defeat the Akatsuki member with some casualties, allowing himself to avoid abduction. Or.. B…he could do something, and lose the last bit of strength he had left to fight, leaving him vulnerable. He looked down at the hundreds of villagers watching him. Women, children, all of them stared up at him expectantly. He knew what he had to do. Using almost all of the rest of his chakra he called forth a giant sand shield to protect the village just as the bomb went off.

His blond opponent looked surprised, but quickly changed his expression to an amused smirk. He said something condescending about using your strength to protect others, but of course a man whose objective is to use the jinchuuriki as tools wouldn't understand. Suddenly a clay bird flew in front of his face. 'Kuso! I let my guard down!' he thought, relieved when the sand shot up to protect him. 'That was close,' he thought. Gaara wasn't safe yet, however…something was digging through his sand shield. He stared in disbelief as clay ants burrowed inside, then….BOOM!

"GAARA!" Kankurou screamed.

The Kazekage felt his ultimate defense slipping, he could no longer hold it up. He had but a tiny amount of chakra left which he was currently using to pull the giant sand shield away from the village. He could just let it fall, but he would allow no casualties, save maybe himself.

"As expected of the Kazekage," he heard the Akatsuki say as he fell from the sky. Something caught him, then wrapped tightly around him.

"GAARA!" his brother's voice yelled, but that was the last thing he heard as darkness washed over him.

Konohagakure

Temari sat in the small Konohan restaurant with her guide quietly. She looked rather upset, and uncomfortable tonight. Shikamaru just couldn't get his big, genius brain to figure out why. Her beautiful face was contorted in worry…he suddenly wished he understood women more. Since he didn't, he just stared at her.

She'd gotten awfully pretty over the last two years. Though her hair was in the same four pony tailed short blond state it always had been, her face had matured greatly. All the baby fat was gone from her cheeks, and her quite striking facial structure stood out nicely against her honey toned skin. She had high cheekbones, intelligent deep green eyes, and a straight, pointed nose. Her face narrowed into a soft, but defined, and not at all masculine jaw line.

Her pretty green eyes stood out underneath the thick black lashes, and usually sparkled with some form of content when they were together. At eighteen, he wondered why she was still single. She had to have every guy in Sunagakure throwing themselves to their knees to be with her. Then he remembered…'Gaara…I guess having the Kazekage for a brother has its issues,' he thought quietly.

"Nara, why are you staring at me?" she bit out, harsher than she'd meant to. He was about to come back with something rude when he saw the dazed, slightly sad look in her pretty green eyes. Shikamaru really doesn't give himself enough credit when it comes to understanding women.

"I was just wondering why you're so out of it is all," he said yawning so it didn't sound too weird coming from his mouth. You see, guys have this ridiculous rule that when they care about a girl, they can't show that they do. It's just not manly. (a/n: lol you girls know what I'm talking about. :))

"Since when do you care?" she asked, seeing straight through him. Those deep green eyes turned on him. He almost blushed, but prized himself on being so lazy for so long that his body naturally didn't do anything it didn't have to.

"And here I'd thought we were friends," he said as an explanation. She smirked.

"You're right I guess. Is it not too troublesome for you to listen?" she asked mockingly, he frowned, almost looking like a pout. 'Cute,' she thought, then mentally slapped herself for thinking that. 'We've been spending too much time together,' she reasoned.

"I guess I could spare a few minutes if something's really bothering you," he stated, lacing his fingers behind his head in the way he always did. He leaned back on the chair, and stared at her expectantly. The blond woman knew he was listening despite his avid attempt to look like he wasn't.

"Well…it's nothing to do with you or Konoha. I've had a rather good time here for the past few months. You've been a decent guide, albeit you were lazy and annoying, but decent nonetheless," she started. He growled, and she knew he was listening.

"It's just…I can't shake the feeling something terrible is going to happen. I miss my village, and my brothers. Well, not Kankurou so much as Gaara. I guess I'm just homesick and paranoid," she said with that cute little smile of hers. He sighed. 'Being the oldest sibling must be troublesome. Especially considering who her younger brothers are,' he thought.

"Well, I guess it's about time I get you back to your apartment," he said, rising and dropping some money on the table.

She nodded, standing up to follow him out of the restaurant. He fell into step next to her, gauging her mood as best as he could. In all honesty, he really hated to see her so worried. It didn't suit her at all. It was a quiet night in Konoha. The shops were all starting to close up, and a lot of the villagers were already at home eating dinner and getting ready for bed. He glanced at the woman next to him.

Recently he'd been more and more intrigued by not only her intelligence, which he'd been encountering since the Chuunin exams two and a half years ago. He was suddenly more interested in the way she looked. Gorgeous was a word he didn't associate with women who weren't Ino his best friend, Kurenai, or the Hokage for that matter. Ino and Kurenai were that sexy kind of gorgeous that made men drool, but that wasn't really his type. He thought of the other girls in the village.

Sakura had more of a cute prettiness to her that had followed her into her teens. The Hokage was just incredibly gorgeous, but strong and ill tempered. Hinata had an elegant beauty, with a very aristocratic look to it, which was only natural since she was a Hyuuga. Temari, however, had that wild, untamed beauty. Exotic and spicy; she was like the wind she controlled…unpredictable. Though somewhat tomboyish, the blond Sabaku was really stunning. 'No wonder that Gaara's so protective. I find her to be the most bothersome person I know, and even I can't stop staring,' he thought.

"Nara? Honestly, you're starting to creep me out," Temari said, breaking him out of his thoughts. This time he did blush, but turned his face to the side so she wouldn't see it.

"Gomen ne, I guess I'm a little out of it too," he said, staring at the ground.

An awkward silence descended on them. Shikamaru shuffled his feet uncomfortably while Temari tried to find something to say. She was at a loss of what to do. It was strange. Things were never awkward between them. They'd been working with each other since he'd become a Chuunin. He was always assigned to her when she was in town, because the Hokage felt they worked well together. So why was it so awkward now? She dismissed it as sleep deprivation.

"I think some sleep would do us both good. I'll see you tomorrow then Nara," she said, he looked up at her, giving her a small smile.

"Alright, the ass crack of dawn as usual," he said, turning away as she laughed, and fumbled with her keys.

"Aa, tomorrow then," she said, he nodded, and waited for her to get into the apartment. She smiled at him before closing the door. Sighing, Shikamaru walked off in the direction of his house. 'What is this woman doing to me?' he thought.

Temari leaned against her door, willing her heart to calm down. Her heart was racing. Her hand grasped the cloth of her shirt directly covering that side of her chest. Since when did Nara get reactions like this from her? It was a little disconcerting. She wasn't ready for feelings like this. It was part of the reason she didn't have a boyfriend yet. She'd always been the tomboyish ninja girl who had a silly hair style, and was off limits to the male race due to her role as the Kazekage's eldest child.

She'd spent her younger years playing with Kankurou and their mother while their father led Wind Country. Then, when Gaara was born, her mother was suddenly gone. She was three years old, and told that her baby brother had killed their mother in cold blood. That was the story that their father had told them. However…when she'd seen Gaara for the first time, she couldn't believe it to be so. He was the cutest baby she'd ever seen. She wanted to hold him, play with him, love him…but it was forbidden. The redheaded infant was kept in seclusion for the first years of his life until he was four. She'd spent the years between six and twelve wishing her baby brother would love her. When she was old enough to understand she'd taken on a motherly role for Kankurou...especially after Yasahamaru died.

Never had she had time for anyone other than her family. When they'd all become genin, her job, along with Kankurou, was to keep Gaara under control as best as they could. Now, with Gaara away in Suna running the country, and Kankurou away on missions all the time as one of the best Jounin Suna had to offer, she had more time to herself. More time to think…to feel things other than pain and fear. Gaara was calmer, and almost happy….Kankurou was still annoying, but without that air of fear over him. Without those old barriers, she almost felt naked. Now, her heart was free to feel, and it had chosen a very interesting object of affection.

Hyuuga Estate

Hinata stared down at her friend's sleeping form. Things were much worse than she'd thought. The girls had been worried about Shia for some time now. The weight of the Clan had descended upon their friend unbearably. Now, the girl was sick with anxiety, and there was nothing they could do about it. She slid the door closed and turned to face Neji, and Tenten.

"Is she alright?" the weapons mistress asked.

"Not at all. I think we should take her to see Tsunade-sama tomorrow," Hinata said gravely. Neji narrowed his eyes.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked. His cousin shook her head.

"I can't tell you. I promised," she said. He sighed.

"You know she won't go," Tenten pointed out. The Hyuuga Heiress nodded.

"That's it, we're going to talk to Tsunade-sama tomorrow," she said. The elder nodded, and they all parted ways.


	22. Death and Revival

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

a/n: this is where the real drama begins.

Chapter 21

Shia sat in Konoha hospital worrying, crying, and every few minutes throwing up whatever she'd managed to eat in the past two days. She'd been like this since she'd heard the news. Tsunade had sent Team Kakashi on a very important mission, and after hearing the details accidentally, Shia'd passed out. Tsunade had yet to come back with the results of what was wrong with her. Though there had been some obvious concern in those honey brown eyes when the female Sannin had left the room.

(Flashback)

"Tsunade-sama! There's an urgent message from the Sand!" Shizune cried, rushing into the room with a scroll.

The Hokage stopped reprimanding Naruto for his poor manners to look up with slight surprise. Her golden brown eyes skimmed over the page widening more with each passing second. 'This isn't good,' Tsunade thought. Her eyes fell to the team in front of her. If anyone was capable of saving the Kazekage it'd be Naruto's team. She believed in the blond, and thought this a perfect excuse to give him a higher ranked mission than the ones that Shizune had suggested.

Shia watched the blond Hokage look over the scroll and saw the immediate switch in posture. Tsunade-sama's body language had suddenly become tense with an air of anxiety. Light brown eyes glanced up to Naruto and his teammates. 'What's going on? What's happened in Sunagakure? Are Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara okay?' were just a few of the questions rushing through the young Akito Head's mind. Finally, the Slug Princess let out a long sigh, turning her very serious eyes on Team Kakashi.

"Sunagakure's Kazekage has been kidnapped…" she started, earning a collective gasp from the room. Shia felt her insides tighten painfully, and her stomach started to do an extremely uncomfortable dance. 'Gaara!' she thought frantically. She heard Naruto voice her thoughts aloud.

"…by the Akatsuki," the Godaime finished, and suddenly, Shia couldn't see straight anymore. The floor wavered around her, fading away once or twice before coming back into view and spinning. She felt her abdomen convulse painfully.

"I'm reassigning Team Kakashi. Your new mission is to go to Sunagakure and help them as much as you can. You will also follow whatever orders are given," Tsunade said, and the team nodded.

Sakura looked over to her friend who was suddenly looking very pale. The brunette was shaking uncontrollably, with wide, frightened dark blue eyes. Her breaths came in short pants. Her hand clenched the material of her shirt right over her stomach. Suddenly she let out an extremely disturbing howl, doubling over and clenching her gut with an extremely pained expression scrunching her features. The pinkette rushed over to her friend frantically asking if she was okay, but to no avail. Shia continued to tremble, groaning in pain with her eyes screwed shut tight. Within seconds the Akito Head was unconscious. Reluctantly, Sakura allowed the medical team to rush her friend away on a stretcher, and set out for her mission to Sunagakure.

(end flashback)

And so that's how it went. Now Shia sat in her hospital bed, poking at the lunch they'd brought her, and worrying more. The Akatsuki had Gaara. They'd kidnapped him, and there was nothing she could do to help. For all she knew he was already….'No, he's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be fine,' she thought in her head. Suddenly she heard voices outside of the door. Her ears strained to hear.

"I'm sorry Akito-sama, demo…I have to talk to Shia-san first. She's very…uh…sick…you've been putting too much pressure on her and the anxiety has made her ill. I can't allow you to see her until I am sure she is well enough to handle it," Tsunade's smooth, intelligent voice said from behind the door.

There was an exasperated sigh, and the sound of footsteps reluctantly retreating. After all, the Akito Elders would not argue with the Hokage. The door opened and shut quietly, and Tsunade turned to face her with a mildly concerned, yet mostly serious face. The news wasn't good whatever it was, and Shia knew she could hide nothing from the Shinobi World's best medical specialist. Honey brown eyes narrowed at her as the Hokage took her seat next to the bed.

"How long have you known?" she asked simply, knowing Shia knew what she was talking about. The girl's blue eyes filled with frightened tears before focusing on the white sheets of the hospital bed..

"I recognized the 'symptoms' a few weeks ago," the brunette answered softly. Tsunade felt bad for the young clan leader.

"Judging by the development I'd say you're about two months in," the blond Hokage said, resting a hand on the girl's forearm.

"I know…" Shia said quietly. Of course she knew. She was a medic, and a Jounin at that.

"Have you told anyone? Does the father know?" Tsunade asked, seeing the flash of sorrow that entered the girl's deep blue eyes.

"I…I haven't told anyone. I didn't want the council to know until…"

"Until it was too late to get rid of it, I understand. You don't have to worry. I will not allow the Council to force you to abort," the older woman interrupted. She saw some relief wash over the Shia's face.

"I want to go to Suna," Shia stated, and the Hokage sent her an incredulous look.

"That is highly impossible Shia-san, you almost miscarried. I can't send you on that mission knowing what could happen to you or the baby. I suggest you rest for now…you can trust N"

"I know I can trust Naruto-kun! But my friends need me. I could help…I can fight! I've been doing missions for two months! I can"

"Get that child killed is what you'll do! I know you're worried about your friends in Sunagakure, but I have sent two very capable teams to deal with this problem. When the conflict is over, I will send you over to see them," Tsunade interrupted. The girl in the bed shook angrily, tears springing from her eyes.

"You don't understand! I have to go! He's in danger! I can save him!" she cried out loudly. Tsunade's brown eyes went wide at her statement, and suddenly it clicked.

"Tell me Shia-san, two months ago…you were in Sunagakure were you not?" the blond asked, arching a golden brow at her patient. Shia's angry expression faltered, and apprehension replaced said emotion on her pretty face.

"H..hai," she stuttered, wide eyes looking nervously at the leader of her village. Tsunade smiled softly, throwing the other girl off a little. Wasn't she supposed to have a fierce temper? Shouldn't she be screaming how much of an idiot Shia was right now? 'Jiraiya-sama was wrong. She does have a softer side,' Shia thought.

"I think we need to have a word with your family Shia-san. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell them about your 'problem', but they need to understand that they're making you sick. You're life isn't just yours anymore. You've got an innocent life in there that needs protecting. Perhaps we can come to a compromise about this wedding," the Hokage said. Shia was immediately grateful, and launched herself at the Sannin. Tsunade hugged her briefly, then left, saying Shia was free to go home, and promising to come to the Akito Complex later that night to talk with the Council.

Sunagakure: Temari's Group

"We shouldn't be just standing around! We have to do something! Gaara-sama's our Kazekage!"

"Shut up Matsuri!" Temari ordered, "you think I don't know. He's my little brother!" she said, forcing her tears back to glare at the girl.

Matsuri closed her mouth immediately. It's not that Temari had anything in particular against the girl. However…the only student of her little brother had been preaching for hours about how they were wasting their time guarding this border while Gaara was in the clutches of the Akatsuki. As if the eldest Sabaku didn't know. As if she wasn't just as scared and worried for her little brother as the young brunette Chuunin. How in the hell was this supposed to help anything? No one except Konoha knew about Gaara's abduction. Temari should be there with those Konoha shinobi. She should be fighting Akatsuki to get her baby brother back, and yet the council had decided she should stay here.

The blond wind mistress looked off into the desert. Her worried emerald eyes burned with unshed tears thinking of what those demonic Akatsuki bastards could be doing to her baby brother at this minute. They could be torturing him, beating him…she didn't even want to think of what else, and there was nothing she could do. She was forced to stay at home, and be completely helpless. She trusted Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura to bring him back. But what if…they were already too late? She shook her head fiercely and turned to her squad.

"That's it. I can't take it anymore. Matsuri, and the three of you follow me! The rest of you stay here and guard this border with your lives. DO NOT let the council know we've gone," she said before rushing towards the gates of Sunagakure. Not surprisingly at all, Kankurou sat waiting for them. 'I knew I should have expected this. No use in trying to convince this baka to go back to the hospital,' she thought.

"Let's get going, ne? Big sister," he said with that ridiculous smile of his. She nodded, and they all rushed towards the gates together. 'We're coming Gaara,' both Sabakus thought simultaneously.

Akatsuki Hideout

The cave was fairly silent except for the sound of the demon being extracted from the fifteen year old Kage they'd kidnapped. Every once and a while the redhead would groan in pain, but other than that, no one made much noise. The clones of Itachi and Kisame had been defeated, surprising the members of Akatsuki. They'd known Kakashi would be a problem, Gai too, and perhaps the Hyuuga. However…the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and his other teammate had put up quite a fight along with the green clad leaf Jounin's team.

Only a few more minutes and the One Tailed demon, Shukaku, would be sealed. As the life left the young redhead, none felt any remorse. It's not that they had anything against him. In fact, if he weren't a target he may have made a great addition to the organization, or ally in the future they planned to dominate. Sacrifices needed to be made for the greater goal. This kid was just one of the many that would be sacrificed for Leader-sama's(a.k.a Pein) final objective.

Gaara

'What's this?…' Gaara thought, staring at a pale hand in front of him. Everything was glaringly white and bright around him. He felt as if he were in a completely different world.

'Oh…it's just my hand.' He moved his hand slowly from his face, squinting into the bright light at a far away object that seemed to be getting closer. 'Huh…what's that?….me?' he thought, as the vision of himself stopped just a few feet away. He took in the dead, emotionless eyes of his former self. The blank, mint green ice that hid a glint of hatred and murderous intent.

'Why did I become like that? Why did I desire it so badly?' he wondered, looking over the smooth listless features of his own face.

'Those eyes…that nose….that mouth…' he thought almost absently, feeling as if he was slipping away. He looked down at his hand again. He thought of his family briefly, at least they were safe. Thank the gods SHE hadn't been there to see it. Though she must know now. No doubt Konoha had been informed. He remembered that final desperate cry from his older brother, and briefly wondered how Temari had taken the news. He sincerely hoped that they were okay. He sincerely hoped Kankurou hadn't done anything stupid,..that Shia was somewhere safe, not fighting Akatsuki for him….and from the bottom of his slowing heart…he hoped for their happiness.

'I wonder…did my existence ever become necessary to anyone,' he thought, watching the vision of his former self drift away swiftly. His mind was slowly dissolving as the last bits of Shukaku were sucked from his body by the Akatsuki. 'It was just a slight feeling….' was his last thought before darkness overwhelmed him.

A body, heavy with death, thudded to the ground loudly. For a few moments, the S-class group of criminals stared at the dead teenager. Their emotions were dulled, for most of them had killed mercilessly for years, a few had even slain their own blood. Akasuna no Sasori sighed loudly through his large, frightening looking puppet's mouth.

"Finally…" he murmured. The other Akatsuki members were taking their leave. Leader disappeared with one last order to Itachi.

"What is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki like?" the master of puppets asked, Itachi glared at him for few moments before turning away.

"He is the one that screams and charges first…" he answered softly, disappearing seconds after. Deidara and Sasori absorbed those words before the redheaded puppet user snorted and mumbled something about the rudeness of the haughty Uchiha.

Team Kakashi

One…two….three six shinobi heard Maito Gai count over the headset. On three Kakashi, Neji, Tenten, Lee, and Gai each removed their respective seals, effectively dissipating the barrier.

"Now Sakura!" Kakashi said, and his pink haired student rushed fiercely at the large boulder that blocked their way into the cave.

With a strong slam of her fist the boulder cracked, then loudly shattered to pieces. Swiftly the four remaining ninja entered the cave. All four sets of eyes widened simultaneously. There, just in front of them, sat a feminine blond man with a half ponytail, a long side bang, and one ocean blue eye glinting playfully at them. Next to him was a large, rather ugly, and monstrous looking man with a long metal tail that reminded one of a scorpion. That wasn't the issue however…underneath the blond was something they'd all hoped they wouldn't find. The blue eyed Akatsuki sat comfortably on top of Gaara's unmoving corpse.

'Were we too late?' Kakashi thought sadly, flicking his eyes over to a furious looking Naruto and gauging the amount of time it would take for the young blond to reveal his jinchuuriki status. The scars on his cheeks darkened, and his eyes began to bleed into red. 'So much for not letting them know he's the Kyuubi container,' the Copy nin thought.

Akito Council

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but these are the Clan laws, and they have been this way since the founding of Akito House. We can't simply re-write the laws because our leader is a selfish teenager and doesn't know what's best for her, or the clan," one of the elders said coldly. Shia glared at him with hell flames dancing in her eyes.

"How dare you call me selfish! You have no idea what I've given up for this clan! You don't know what it's like to be me! To be fifteen years old and not aloud to love!" she exclaimed loudly. Tsunade's strong hand fell to her shoulder, effectively silencing her.

"As you said, the laws have been that way since the founding. Perhaps they have become obsolete by now. Even Hyuuga House changed their ancient laws so that it could allow Hinata-san to inherit. Why can't you just wait a little while? She's been doing a fine job without a husband," the blond woman said coolly.

"We are not Hyuuga House. I'm sure Hiashi-sama is searching at this very moment for a worthy husband of his heir," another elder pointed out. The Hokage chuckled darkly.

"No…you see, Hiashi-sama has had quite a change of heart about his daughter over the past two years. He believes she is strong enough to make her own decisions about marriage and so on. HE understands that no good leadership could come out of a loveless marriage," Tsunade said, glaring icily at the group of close minded old fools.

"Who said she could not love him? She refused to even meet with him more than once. She wouldn't even give him a chance to woo her," a council member said.

"I have no ill feelings towards Kenichi-sama, however, he could not woo me no matter how hard he tried," Shia explained firmly. She felt a squeeze of encouragement on her shoulder.

"It has nothing whatsoever to do with him. I simply can not love him," she finished with a sigh. The tension in the room was high, and one could almost smell the frustration of the Councilmen.

"How could you possibly know that without giving him a chance? He could win your heart…" Akito Tadashi, the Lead Council Member, finally spoke. Shia looked up at his tranquil face and felt a little guilty. She was causing so many problems for her family, but she would not give up. Gaara was worth it. 'Kami-sama, I hope he's alright…' she thought.

"Gomenasai…but…my heart can be won by no man that you choose for me," she said softly. Tsunade looked down at the young medic with compassion. If only the council knew who her heart belonged to, perhaps they'd think differently.

"Well then I'm sorry Shia-sama, but you have condemned yourself to a loveless marriage. The Council's final decision is for you to wed Saitama Kenichi-sama in a month's time. Wedding preparations begin tomorrow. You will choose your floral arrangements, catering, and guest list, among other things," Tadashi said firmly.

"Tadashi-san, I'm surprised at you. Would you condemn your own daughter to such a fate?" Tsunade asked with a raise of her golden brow. The Akito Lead Elder looked at her emotionlessly.

"Tsunade-sama, I respect you very much, however, this decision is ours. You can not interfere," he said quietly, then rose to leave.

The rest of the elders left with him, as Shia began to tremble. She would not marry Kenichi. She refused. She loved Gaara. She wanted only Gaara. She was carrying the child of GAARA! She didn't want to marry some rich son of a daimyo who she could never love. It was as unfair to him as it was to her. Kenichi was a good man...he deserved better.

"I'm sorry Shia-san, but, there's nothing more I can do. This is in your hands now. Only you can make the right decision," Tsunade said, breaking the girl out of her thoughts. Shia looked up at the blond Hokage and smiled.

"I will tell you this Shia-san. If you should choose to disappear, as Hokage, I shall not hold it against you," the Sannin said before ruffling the young girl's hair and leaving.

It was a few moments before the older woman's words finally registered in Shia's young, angry mind. What did the Hokage mean? Did she just tell her to run away? In a month's time, Shia would be three months pregnant, who knows if she'd begin to gain weight by then. Surely the councilmen would notice she'd be getting sick often. In a clan of medics, how could she hide such a secret for much longer.

No, she had to flee. She had to run from this pointless marriage, and go somewhere where her and her child could live happily. Had Tsunade-sama not just given her permission to do so? '…as Hokage, I shall not hold it against you…' Yes…the leader of the Hidden Leaf had just given her word that if Shia left tonight, she would not be considered a missing-nin. 'Then the decision is made…' she thought briefly, rushing to her room to pack her things discreetly.

Sometime Later  
Shia had her things packed, and had strictly ordered she not be disturbed by anyone. The council merely dismissed it as her being a selfish teenager again and obeyed her request. An angry Shia was not an easy thing to deal with, even for them. It was about four in the morning, and the sun was peeking over the horizon. She'd leave at dawn…that's what she'd decided. She'd go to Suna, and try to be of some assistance there.

Her thoughts strayed to Gaara once again. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he…de…'No, I refuse to think of that. He's probably in his office surrounded by paperwork by now if Naruto had anything to do with his rescue,' she reassured herself. Her heart, however, tightened painfully and that made her worry. Something just wasn't right in the world of Shia right now. It felt as if something were missing. She hadn't time think on it before a sharp knock sounded at her door.

"I asked not to be disturbed," she said coldly, not rising to open the door.

"Is it such a horrible thing for a man to want to see his fiancé?" Kenichi's voice said from behind the door.

She sighed, she really had nothing against him personally. She just didn't want them to have to suffer a loveless marriage. It was so unfair for him to have to marry a woman whose heart was already claimed by another. If only he knew how unfit she was to wed him. She was not a virgin, and what's more... she was with child. Another man's child. Kenichi, sweet and passionate man that he was, deserved a woman who could care for him the way he needed her to. Not some pregnant fifteen year old who was in love with her best friend. The door slid open, and a dark, perfectly arched brow lifted quizzically at the sight of her bags.

"Going somewhere?" he asked softly, sounding slightly amused. She frowned at him.

"Kenichi-sama, I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I can't marry you," she said, looking up at him through pleading dark blue eyes.

He chuckled softly, walking up to her and taking her small, smooth hand in his. He pressed his lips charmingly to her palm before smiling handsomely at her. Really…she wished she didn't have to hurt him. He had such a nice smile. She'd hate to take that away from him. Shia honestly liked the guy, but as no more than a friend.

"I'm afraid I do not understand Shia," he said, a hint of amusement in those deep brown eyes. She sighed loudly; frustrated and tired.

"I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to even if I told you," she murmured softly. She let out a surprised huff when he turned her around and wrapped his arms around her waist from the back. One of his large, gentle hands rested over her abdomen, fingers drumming fondly.

"Try me darling…I'm a bit more perceptive than you seem to believe," he said, cheek resting against the top of her brunette head.

Kenichi wasn't a stupid man. When he'd been told he was to marry the Akito Clan's female successor, he'd been rather excited. After meeting her however, he wasn't sure he could go through with the marriage after all. She was mature for a fifteen year old, he had to give her that, but she was inexperienced and slightly naïve. Being eight years her senior, it wasn't hard to tell her heart already belonged to another. He'd just been biding his time until she felt it time to tell him. Shia was stubborn, however, so he'd recalculated his plan and decided to ask her directly. He figured she'd pull something like running away after the council gave her their final decision.

"I don't want to hurt you," he heard her say quietly, and knew she meant it. Perhaps he could have loved her, had he been a less observant man, and not realized she had already been claimed. She'd make a great wife someday. Strong, intelligent, while caring and compassionate. She was opinionated, and independent, a hell of a medic, and a pretty decent cook. It was quite a shame she could never be his, but he was not the type of man to force a marriage onto one so young. He couldn't do that to her.

"I do not believe that you will Shia," he said, and he felt a tremble of sadness course over her. Her small hand came up to rest over his.

"I am already in love. I have to go to him now. He is in danger, and there is something I have to tell him. I have to help him. I can save him. I know I can, it's just a matter of getting there in time. I'm leaving at dawn," she explained, surprised when Kenichi just chuckled warmly.

"You'll be happy to know I am not in pain," he said, and she turned to look at him with shocked eyes.

"I have come to think of you as more of a younger sibling really. The age difference is too much, and though you're mature, I've known since the day I met you that you already belonged to someone else. How far along are you then?" he asked, receiving a fearful, shocked, and relieved look all at the same time. She was the only person he knew that could mix so many conflicting emotions into one facial expression.

"How did you know?" she asked shakily. He rubbed his hand over her stomach.

"Did you think your dizzy spells and morning sickness went unnoticed by everyone? The council yes, the servants yes…but not me. I've always been an observant man Shia. It just took me a little while to put two and two together. If it's any consolation, your family and elders remain ignorant to your current condition," he explained, and she let out a long relieved breath.

"You're not angry?" she asked, warily regarding him with her intelligent blue eyes. He smiled at her.

"I'm not…." there was a short pause.

Neither spoke, but her eyes showed him such gratitude, and his smile gave her the relief she needed. Perhaps she could have loved him, had he come first, but Gaara had her heart. She knew that she'd do anything for him. Shia smiled at her fiancé amiably and the silence was finally broken by his calm voice.

"It is nearly dawn. You should get going if you want to leave before the house begins to stir," he said quietly, embracing her quickly and striding out of the room with one last smile.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and dashed quickly through the corridors of the Main House. As fast as she could without over exerting herself, she rushed towards the gates of Konoha and in the direction of Suna. She didn't know where Akatsuki had taken Gaara, but Sunagakure was the place that she had to start if she wanted to find anything.

Temari and Kankurou

Both elder Sabakus ran swiftly through the foliage. Their tracker-nin had lead them into a green forest within a few hours. They'd just resumed chasing their leaf comrades' trail after their short break in what looked like a recent battle ground. Surprisingly Elder Chiyo's brother Ebizo-sama had decided to join them in their quest to find Gaara.

"We're getting close," the tracker-nin said, and both superiors nodded.

'Gaara please be safe,' Temari thought, though somehow she knew it wasn't so. Kankurou was thinking along the same lines as his sister. Everyone always wanted Gaara. The young redhead had just began to come out of his shell. He'd just begun to show love towards his family and friends. His torn heart had just begun to heal. Now…this. Why was it that whenever Gaara was the least bit happy…something had to come along and ruin it?

"It's gonna be okay Temari," he said before he could stop himself.

Her green eyes sent him a rare look, gratitude, as they continued forward. He just wanted her to stop looking so broken. She'd always been strong. In fact…the last time he could remember her crying was for Gaara. If she cried, he wasn't sure how well he'd hold himself together. Despite the way he normally acted towards her, Temari was still his older sister, and he looked to her for a certain amount of stability when the times called for it. For a long time, she'd been almost a mother figure in his life...in some ways he still clung to that idea. Looking ahead, they caught a dot of black up ahead. A familiar chakra signal pulsed, and both were shocked to see her.

"Thank the Gods I found you…" Akito Shia said breathlessly. Temari and Kankurou exchanged confused looks.

"Shia-chan, though I'm sure we are both happy to see you, shouldn't you be in Konoha leading your clan right about now?" Temari asked practically. Shia smiled at them.

"Um…well..about that. I heard that Gaara-kun was in danger, so I came rushing out here to save him. That and…well…the council gave me a final decision I wasn't fond of," she said, eyes growing bitter. Temari looked at her baffled for a few moments.

"So you just left?" Kankurou asked, as the young medic fell into pace next to the sprinting puppeteer.

"Hai…Tsunade-sama was not fond of their decision either, let's just leave it at that until I've more time to explain," she said, looking a little worn out. Shia knew she was expending more energy than normal. With the baby it was difficult to run full force for hours straight.

"Okay, we'll talk later," Temari said quietly, but with an air of finality that told Shia the blond knew something was up.

Being naturally a very perceptive young woman, Temari had taken a glance at her younger friend and immediately known something was off. Shia was far too winded, too tired looking and slow. She was either ill, out of shape, or something else the blond wasn't sure about, but she'd find out. Later, however, because right now they had more important things to attend to. She turned her deep green eyes on the ninja ahead of her.

"How much longer?" she asked sternly, he looked back at her with a sad smile.

"We're here," he said, watching sadly as those worried green eyes shifted to the top of the hill.

There lay Gaara, motionless…breathless…lifeless. For a moment the group of Sand-nin with their one leaf comrade could only stand in silence. Temari's eyes welled with tears which she fought down if only for her brother. She glanced over at him. His dark brown eyes were trained unrelentingly on their unmoving sibling. Pain entered those usually mischievous, amused eyes. She laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. None could move. Naruto was crying up on the hill while the rest of his group looked on sadly. Temari turned her gaze toward Shia, who looked as if she'd been impaled in the head by a kunai.

Shia stared at the sedimentary body of the boy she loved. His red hair danced lightly in the wind over his smooth, pale face. His body was stiff, his chest still. She moved forward, trying to get close to him. She stopped just in front of his comatose body. Nothing...no chakra signature...no breathing...just nothing. She felt something inside of her break then. It felt as if her soul was cracking slowly. Her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces, and suddenly she was cold. Numb…her whole body went numb, her mind vaguely aware she'd fallen to her knees.

Without thought she raised her trembling hands and placed them over his chest. She could save him. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. Not Gaara. Not now. Not ever! She needed him. There was no point in going on if he wasn't there. Green chakra emitted from her hands as tears started to roll down her unfeeling cheeks. She was unaware of the desperate sobs escaping her mouth, the loud mantra of "No" she was chanting, or the sorrowful stares she was receiving. The energy continued to leave her, in vain, because he was already long gone. She began to tremble uncontrollably. The steady stream of chakra became inconsistent and flickered.

"Wake up damnit!" she cried out without realizing. Her mind was going blank...the world outside of her and her lover's corpse seemed to fade away.

She sobbed harder, as the energy in her body continued to leave her. Distantly she felt someone's arms lock around her waist and pull her away. She fought them. Her small hands balled into assailing fists against a strong chest. She kicked and screamed, clawed and bit, but her captor did not let go.

"Let me go! I can save him! I can!" she cried out, but ultimately broke down against the strong ninja holding her.

"Gaara!" she wailed loudly, curling against the person who held her.

She sobbed into his chest savagely, exhausting her already weakened body to the point she was nauseous. Her insides lurched, the world spun rapidly around her, and she released the contents of her stomach onto the ground in front of her. Darkness overtook her, and soon she was unconscious once again.

Sakura rushed forward immediately, but was stopped by her sensei. She sent him a meaningful glare, but he just stared at her with those wise eyes that made her stop to think. At this point, with as little chakra as she had left, there was nothing she could do for Shia. In the meanwhile, Chiyo-sama had seated herself in front of Gaara's corpse. Naruto looked on with confused interest as the old woman laid her palms over the redhead's unmoving chest. A powerful burst of energy flew out of the woman, manifesting itself as a blue glow around her hands. Sakura's light green eyes widened.

"Chiyo-baasama that jutsu will…" she began, but trailed off when the old woman turned to give her a friendly eye crease.

So that's what the woman had been talking about. She was going to give her life to revive the young Kazekage. It all made sense now. This was the final act that could make up for a lifetime of mistakes. The old woman poured her life energy into the former jinchuuriki, but became tired quickly.

"Damn…not enough chakra," Chiyo murmured quietly. Naruto's blue eyes widened at the statement, and he knelt down opposite from the elder.

"Can you use my chakra?" he asked determinedly. The Suna elder seemed slightly shocked but nodded nonetheless.

"Place your hands over mine," she said quietly, and he did. Immediately the blue glow grew stronger. For a few moments it was silent. Chiyo stared at the young blond across from her, seemingly lost in thought. Everyone turned their attention on the old woman when she spoke again.

"In this world of shinobi made by many foolish old people, I'm glad to see someone such as yourself has appeared," Chiyo began quietly, Naruto looked at her with perplexed blue eyes. The elder continued on.

"My past…everything I've done has been nothing more than one mistake after another…" she said, wise dark eyes moving from Naruto's confused face to Gaara's lifeless one.

"Still…in my last moments, it looks like I'll finally be able to set things right," she said…expression softening as she felt the life leaving herself and leaking into the current Kazekage.

"Konoha…and Suna…the future starting now will be different from the time I lived. This unusual gift of yours which Kakashi spoke of…" she said, looking up into those vibrant blue eyes.

"The gift will surely change the future….after you become a Hokage like none before you that is…" she said, starting to feel light headed as darkness began to envelope her. These were her last seconds. She wondered briefly how this one leaf child had made her believe in him so suddenly, and so fiercly.

"...and you Sakura…next time instead of risking your life for a dying old woman, I want you to protect what's most important to you…" Sakura's eyes welled up with tears.

"You're a lot like me…surely you'll become a kunoichi greater than even your master. After all, a woman with a gallant spirit matching any man's is indeed a rarity…" Chiyo said with a small smile. Sakura felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Chiyo's attention returned to the blond jinchuuriki in front of her.

"Finally Naruto…this old woman has a request of you," she began, and his blue eyes widened.

"You are the only person capable of understanding Gaara's suffering. Gaara understands your suffering as well," Naruto stared at the weakening old woman expectantly as she continued to speak. She looked up at him through weary eyes.

"Please…help Gaara for me…" she finished, watching as his sky blue eyes softened into a compassionate sapphire hue.

His lids fell slowly over his eyes as he concentrated hard. In his mind's eye he saw his younger self surrounded by all the people he cared about, but one was missing. He heard a muffled sob from behind him and looked back to see a tiny redheaded child dressed in Sunagakure style clothing, with a rather large gourd attached to his back. He pushed past the others and began to sprint his way over to the small, lonely boy. He couldn't let anyone suffer like he did. Naruto would help this boy. His friend…Sabaku no Gaara.

'Gaara!….Gaara!' he cried out in his mind.

Gaara felt a strange sense of awareness returning to him. He heard his name being called distantly. 'Who's this…who's calling?…Whose hand is this?' he thought as he stared at the pale appendage in front of him. 'Oh…it's just my hand again,' he thought absently. His mind slowly came back to him, making him realize something. 'My hand?….me? Me?…who am I?' he thought, seeing a much younger version of himself crying alone. The young him was curled into himself on the floor with that big gourd on his back…alone..as usual. He felt himself fade into that former image of himself. 'I'm…' he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his tear streaked face to look at the owner.

An equally young version of Uzumaki Naruto stared back at him with that impossible smile. Confusion fluttered through his awakening mind as he stared at the child version of the blond leaf-nin. Soon the unconscious world began to fade, he began to feel his body, and the young image of Naruto faded into an older, relieved looking one.

"Gaara…" was all the blond said, staring at him with friendly, sorrow tinted eyes.

The redhead whipped his head around, observing his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was being wrapped in some kind of clay bird's tail. He vaguely remembered a very bright, white light…and perhaps dying. To say he was confused was a huge understatement.

"Naruto?" he managed, the blond just looked at him with his compassionate blue eyes.

Gaara's wide jade eyes stared at him shocked. He looked around again, this time actually seeing what was around him. All of his fellow Suna shinobi surrounded him along with Neji, Tenten, Lee, Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, Sakura, and his siblings. Everyone was staring at him with wide, relieved, and slightly confused eyes. What were they all doing there?

"This is…" he started, but Naruto just smiled, his blue eyes forming happy arches of eye lashes and said,

"Everyone was rushing just to save you."

Black rimmed eyes opened even wider if possible as he glanced around the crowd. It was strange to see all the people he was sure only tolerated him for the simple fact that he was Kazekage, were here looking happy that he was alive. For the first time in his life, he felt as if his ninja really accepted him.

"Oi! You put us through a lot," Naruto chuckled with a firm clap on Gaara's shoulder.

The Kazekage looked up at him wide eyed, and still slightly frazzled. He was beyond perplexed at the moment, and his newly awakened brain was taking its sweet, dandy time to process exactly what was going on. For lack of any other action, he looked to his siblings. Kankurou nodded his agreement with the blond Leaf-nin.

"For sure…you're a little brother I'll always have to worry about, eh?" he said, smiling doofily at him.

Inside, Kankurou's heart rejoiced at the sight of his brother alive. Temari chastised the brunette about getting cheeky with the person who was still currently the Kazekage, calling both the puppeteer and the Kyuubi container underlings before turning to her youngest brother. She studied him briefly as both Naruto and Kankurou pouted unhappily behind her.

"Gaara..how are you feeling?" she asked.

He tried to stand, failed and groaned in frustration. This was wonderful. He couldn't stand again, and though he didn't object to Shia coming out to help him recover, she had her own problems to deal with in Konoha. That brought about another thought…Shia…he'd died without even telling her he loved her. She had to know about this by now…he only hoped she hadn't taken it too hard. He wondered if she was okay.

"You shouldn't move just yet, you're body isn't back to full health yet," Temari scolded softly with a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him sitting.

A nameless shinobi sniffled back his tears, murmuring about his relief that the Kazkekage was alive. Matsuri's voice cried out in objection. Something about Gaara not dying so easily. He found it rather difficult to focus at the moment, and completely ignored the fight that was going on between two girls behind him. That is until they threw both Naruto and Kankurou aside as they both rushed to the redhead's side at the same time. Temari stood in front of him protectively. Gaara continued to gather himself.

Kankurou and Naruto mused about the female weakness for elite ninjas, which left Naruto pouting sadly since he was still a genin. The puppeteer almost laughed at the blonde's expression. He may have been a genin, but Naruto didn't seem to realize how many lives he'd changed since he'd become one. The brunette thought back to that seemingly distant conversation on the cliff two years ago. Gaara had changed because of this boy. He'd seen the light, so to say. He'd worked hard and ultimately was accepted by the very same people who'd hated him. For all of this, they were all thankful to Uzumaki Naruto. They'd finally become a family because of him.

"Thank you Naruto," he said quietly. The blond just looked at him confused but smiled a second later.

The Kyuubi container passed the gratitude onto the elder Chiyo, however….Chiyo lay dead in Sakura's arms at the moment. Kankurou immediately realized why. 'She used that jutsu,' he thought as he began to explain to the blond why the elder was dead, and not just passed out.

"I keep expecting her to wake up and say 'I'm just playing dead!'…such a peaceful expression she has now," Ebizo-sama said sadly. Sakura nodded her agreement.

"Yes.." she said softly, a tear escaping her eye and making a path over her cheek.

Gaara looked over towards the dead elder. Had she really brought him back to life? She'd always said she didn't care about the future of the village. This isn't something she'd normally do. Yet…Naruto seemed to have that affect on people. Gaara was grateful to the old woman for giving her life to restore his. His sister had voiced his previous thoughts to an utterly baffled yet somehow understanding blond. Only Naruto could be both at the same time. Gaara stared at the motionless old woman, a certain sadness filling him. He braced a hand on the floor and made to get up. Unfortunately, his body just wasn't having that at the moment.

"Gaara-sama!" a familiar voice exclaimed from beside him, before a strong hand braced his elbow and hoisted him up effortlessly.

His teal eyes wordlessly thanked Naruto, who only smiled slightly in response. Gaara looked down at the pink haired medic and the dead old woman as he stood next to who he considered his best friend. For a split second he allowed his eyes to soften, but closed them.

"Everyone say a prayer for Chiyo," he ordered quietly.

After a short moment of silence, he ordered the majority of the shinobi away, sending a group of them to prepare Chiyo's body for her funeral. He glanced around the remaining faces. His siblings, Naruto and his team, Lee and his team. It was then he noticed Shia's limp body draped in Rock Lee's arms. Panic coursed through his system briefly before he squashed it.

"Don't worry. She just passed out, but I think we should get her into a proper bed to rest for a while, and I'll check her over," Sakura's voice said. He nodded and they began their trip back to Sunagakure.

a/n: well that's all for now! review!


	23. Everything's Alright

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter 22

"You wanted to see me little brother?" Temari's voice said from behind his room door.

"I did…" he said simply, which she took as her cue to enter.

She found him sitting on the window sill, looking out into the village thoughtfully. He looked rather peaceful, and she couldn't stamp back the happiness in her heart that he was alive. She'd been really scared back there. After all this time, they'd finally become a family. Maybe not the most normal of families around, but they loved each other nonetheless. Seeing him dead, laying motionless on the ground, and knowing she could do nothing had really frightened her beyond belief. His jade eyes turned on her pensively.

"I believe I am in love Temari…" he said as simply as if he were talking about the socks he would wear tomorrow. Temari was speechless for a few moments, shocked at the sudden openness of her youngest brother.

"Oh?" was all she could manage to say. He arched his hairless brow at her before turning his head to stare out of the window again.

"Hai…" was his answer.

She struggled for the right words to say for a few moments. She'd never imagined Gaara falling in love. She was sure he didn't even know what love was. Perhaps that was why he was talking to her. She remembered this subject coming up two months ago, but he'd never actually specified why it was he needed to know what love felt like when he asked.

"Are you going to tell me who it is?" she asked, waiting a few seconds before he nodded.

"She is currently laying unconscious in Sunagakure Hospital with Haruno treating her," he explained quietly. It took a few seconds for her shocked brain to figure out who he meant. 'Shia-chan…' she thought.

"Does she know?" Temari asked. He sighed softly.

"She does not," he answered, voice a little tense with sorrow.

"Do you plan on telling her?" she asked.

His lighter green eyes turned to look at her and suddenly she found him looking a little vulnerable and scared. His usual blank expression was replaced with one of high anxiety and slight panic. It was then that she noticed the pale hand clenched in the material of his shirt covering his heart. It was then she saw the slight trembling of his body, and quickened breathing. From the looks of it his heart was probably racing.

"Neechan….I'm afraid…" he admitted quietly…helplessly.

Temari swallowed her own tears in order to be strong for her little brother. Of course he was afraid, he'd known nothing but hatred for the longest time, even from his family. She needed him to admit his fear to her. Both Kankurou and herself knew that his fear with them, was losing their love. His fear of love in general, was something neither of them really understood. She needed him to explain it to her, so she could help him confront it.

"What is it that you're afraid of Gaara?" she asked, walking toward him and enveloping him into a warm, sisterly embrace.

Her heart clenched tight when he buried his pained face into her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. The fact that he was allowing her to see him so weak, made her insides flutter with elation. He was turning to her for advice, and allowing her to see how afraid he really was. She smiled down at him, deep green eyes warming with sisterly love.

"I don't want to hurt anymore neechan," he murmured against her shoulder. Temari absently began stroking his soft, slightly damp from his recent shower, blood red hair.

"Shia-chan will not hurt you," she said confidently. If the medic's reaction to his death was anything to go by, that girl loved him more than was imaginable. Gaara lifted his suddenly much younger looking face to look up at her through his haunted mint eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked. She smiled at him, nuzzling his soft locks affectionately.

"She loves you. I know she does. You should have seen the way she sobbed when she saw you laying there," Temari began, his light green eyes glinted with mild interest.

"You should have seen the hollow look in her eyes. If you had, you would not be doubting her now….it was like her soul left her right then and there. Like she'd just lost everything that made the world bearable," she explained, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. It made him feel slightly relieved that she'd been so affected, yet troubled him deeply that she'd hurt so much because of him.

"Is it supposed to hurt neechan?" he asked, pulling away from the comfortable warmth of his sister's arms.

"Sometimes…if the one you love is in pain…it will hurt you too," she said, placing a somewhat motherly kiss on his pale forehead.

"I know you're scared Gaara, but let me give you some advice," Temari started, and he stared at her with an expectant look.

"You can't live your life in fear of being hurt little brother. It's foolish….and naïve. Love is always a gamble, it doesn't always work out. It's most definitely not perfect, and sometimes it can be very painful. If you choose to be with her, things will not just go smoothly like in movies or fairytales. You'll disagree on things; you'll butt heads. You'll argue and hurt each other," she explained, and he was currently not liking the sound of this love thing. Temari's eyes warmed suddenly, as if she were thinking of her secret love.

"However…to argue is only healthy in a relationship. You'll also forgive, make compromises, and learn from your mistakes. You'll find out what makes your partner happy, and what upsets them. You'll know her better than anyone in the world, and you'll both be there for each other in ways it is impossible to be with mere friends and family members. It is a special bond that is worth the risk one must take," she concluded.

Gaara stared at her quizzically for a few moments, allowing everything she'd just said to seep into his mind. He analyzed it, considering every point she'd made. Love was indeed the most confusing of emotions. Ultimately, it seemed worth a try. She'd said she loved him. Shia had even promised to give up her clan if he should return her feelings. At the moment she was indisposed in the hospital. That brought about another thought.

The pink haired apprentice to the Hokage had seemed quite serious about Shia's condition. After a quick look over she'd herded everyone, including him, out of the room and told them not to disturb her until she was finished. Had his death really been that devastating to Shia? Gaara felt his stomach twist nervously. 'What if she's really sick?' he thought. Lee had said that she'd thrown up just before fainting. He decided he was going to the hospital now, and Haruno would just have to deal with his presence in the room.

Sunagakure Hospital

Sakura let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from her brow, and smiling at her accomplishment. It had taken a few hours, but Shia's condition had stabilized. What she wanted to know, and planned to find out when the other woke, was why in the hell the brunette hadn't told her she was pregnant. Why she was here in said condition? And…why she hadn't noticed before? What about her fiancé? Her clan? Sakura's thoughts halted as Shia's lashes began to flutter. The brunette blinked a few times, looking around her unfamiliar surroundings, and then shot up into a sitting position.

"Gaara!" she cried out, tears exploding from the corners of her eyes. Sakura rushed forward quickly, wrapping her arms around the hysterical girl.

"Shh…please try and stay calm Shia. Think about the baby. You're hurting the baby," she cooed softly, and the other girl calmed slowly, but surely. Soon enough, questioning navy eyes looked up at her, slightly frazzled.

"W..where am I?" she asked shakily. Sakura sat at the edge of the bed.

"You're at Sunagakure Hospital. You had a nervous breakdown, and in your condition, it was pretty devastating to your system. After we got Gaara-sama back to his village we rushed you here for treatment," the pinkette explained. Shia's dark blue eyes widened at the sound of her love's name.

"You don't have to protect me Sakura-chan…I know he's…." she started, trailing off in the end with a broken look in her suddenly hollow eyes.

'That's right…she doesn't know he's alive,' the pinkette thought. Shia's tears continued to fall, soaking the white hospital sheet. When the girl started to tremble again, the rosette knew she'd have to calm her. The only thing was, knowing Shia the way she did, the pink haired girl knew she wouldn't believe Gaara'd been revived. At least not right away. The Hokage's apprentice decided to give it a shot anyway. Sakura drew her friend into a warm embrace.

"He's alive Shia. We saved him," she said quietly, not missing the tensing of the other's body at her statement. The brunette shoved her back to glare at her meaningfully.

"I said not to protect me! I know he's dead! I saw him! I felt his cold, breathless body with my own two hands! I saw!… I know!..….. I saw!" she screamed out chaotically, voice breaking on the last word.

The tears started flowing again, and she'd become nauseous once more. Her stomach began to play jump rope with her intestines as her heart clenched painfully in her chest. Shia's entire body began to quake violently again. He was dead, she'd seen it with her own eyes. He was dead, and she didn't even get to say goodbye. She'd never see him again. She'd never hear that monotonous voice again, or see that tiny smile he reserved just for the people he cared about. He was gone…she started coughing as her breaths became difficult and raspy. Her stomach protested loudly to the very little bit of food that was inside of it, and her world distorted in her vision.

"Shia-chan…you have to calm down. You're making yourself sick," Sakura tried to reason, but the other girl was far from listening to reason.

"NO!" she screamed, hurling the sheets off of her and making a b-line for the bathroom.

The door slammed shut, and the sounds of heaving gags could be heard from inside. Gagging, and sobbing….loud, desperate sobs of someone who'd lost everything. Coughing…sputtering, then more wailing. If she kept this up she was going to kill herself. She was going to kill that child. Sakura stood, hurrying to the door and ripping it off the hinges. Shia sat, curled around the toilet, crying and looking a mess. Her eyes were hollow, puffy and red….haunted by sorrow and despair. Sakura grabbed a hand towel, wetting it with warm water, and cleaned up her friend as best as she could. Soothingly, she wrapped her arms around the girl, rocking her back and forth just so. She cooed quietly in her ear, happy when the brunette finally seemed to mellow.

"Shia-chan…you can't keep doing this to yourself. You've got to hold yourself together. Seeing him like that brought you to the brink of miscarriage. I had to work so hard to make sure that baby lived. Please…calm down, and talk to me. We've a lot to catch up on it seems," the rosette said quietly. She helped her friend up, and back to the bed after flushing the toilet. Shia stared blankly at the sheets as if she were not even conscious.

"I…I'm sorry Sakura-chan. B..but how can you expect me to believe such a thing. I saw him Sakura-chan. He was dead. He was gone and I was helpless to save him. How can I believe what you say?" she asked, eyes sadly staring down at the white sheets of her bed. Sakura placed a hand over Shia's trembling one.

"You think I would lie about such a thing?" she asked. Those deep blue eyes looked up at her guiltily.

"Iie…I suppose not. I…I just don't know how to feel right now. I know I should be happy…I think I am. I'm so confused," she said, brow furrowing in frustration.

"I'm sure he'll be down to see you soon enough. He did look rather angry when I forced him out of here," Sakura assured, gaining a weak smile from the other.

"I was so scared. I was so sure I'd lost him," Shia murmured.

She felt a squeeze on her hand and looked up to see Sakura's reassuring smile. 'No, Sakura-chan would not lie to me,' she thought. She felt a weight lift from her shoulders partially, and figured that the rest would leave when she saw him. She began to worry again. How was she supposed to act towards him? She wasn't ready to see him. She'd almost lost him. She didn't know how she'd react to seeing him alive.

"I understand how you feel, but try to stay calm. Why don't you explain to me how this came about? I'm afraid I'm rather confused as to how you got like this. Who is the father? When did this happen?" Sakura asked all at once.

"I suppose it started two years ago on my mission to Sunagakure. I met the Sabakus…they were an odd, but utterly charming pair, Temari and Kankurou that is. Gaara…he was cold, and he was scarred from a difficult past. He was injured physically, and I'd come to heal him. At first he was rude, cold…glacial even. He was hateful and unkind, and uncooperative…twice I almost died at his hands," Shia began. Sakura gasped.

"But little by little…he started to change. He became closer to his family. We became friends, and then I left," the brunette explained.

"I kept in touch with him by letters until I had to start training. When I came out of training he and his family invited me to the Kazekage Inauguration Ceremony. You should've seen my face when I found out it was him. I suppose it was on my second trip, two months back, that I fell in love with him. I hadn't expected it to happen, and I'd been fully prepared to be married off to some rich man for the sake of my clan," Shia continued.

"Love is too powerful I guess. On the night of his inauguration, I gave him everything. I guess you could say that's how I ended up the way I am now," she finished. Sakura took a few seconds to register all the new information.

"You mean…?" the pinkette asked in wonder, blushing slightly.

"Hai…I've known for some time now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't want the council to catch wind of it. I didn't want to worry you," Shia said with a soft, apologetic smile. Sakura just shook her head.

"What are you going to do?" Sakura asked.

Shia looked thoughtful for a few moments. She ran over a series of possible actions she could take. Thoughtfully sorting through each possible outcome. She would not marry Kenichi-sama. Perhaps she'd return to Konoha if the Council could come to some kind of compromise. She'd marry under one condition…and that's if it was with someone she loved. There was no reason she had to marry now. She could wait as long as it took.

"I'm not sure what I'll do yet. I guess that all depends on what the Council decides, and what Gaara wants to do," she said. Sakura nodded. Her more curious side was itching to ask her friend what sex with Gaara was like.

"So…um…what was it like?" Sakura asked blushing crimson and refusing to meet Shia's eyes. The pinkette had yet to lose her virginity, seeing as the one she loves was not around…but that didn't stop her curiosity.

"It was amazing," the other replied easily, and so quickly Sakura had to see the look on her face.

"H…he knew what he was doing?" she asked eyes wide.

"Not at first, but he learned quickly. I've never done that with anyone else, but I'm pretty sure he's a natural genius," Shia said, blushing herself. Sakura's mouth hung open in a gape, images of Gaara flooding her mind, she pushed them away, however. She was not a pervert. There was a sharp knock on the door.

"I'm coming in," a familiar cold voice stated before either could say anything. Both girls lifted their eyes just in time to see him.

In that moment, Shia's heart seemed to stop. In strolled Gaara, tall, lean, and dressed in a black, rather comfortable looking ensemble. His teal eyes stared at her intensely, and his messy mop of scarlet hair danced lightly in the breeze from the open window. It was a few moments before she realized she'd forgotten to breath. She heaved in a pretty large, labored breath, panting softly until her lungs stopped burning.

"Leave us," he said, turning his green eyes on Sakura. She nodded, throwing an encouraging smile behind her before closing the door quietly.

Gaara stared at the girl he was in love with. She looked noticeably pale and disoriented. Her navy eyes were wide with shock. Her mouth hung open in a tiny gape. She looked tired…exhausted even. He saw her quivering hand resting just over her heart as if trying to calm herself. Her breathing had quickened, her eyes shined with new tears. Hesitantly he took a step forward, not breaking eye contact with her. The white sheet fell to the ground as she stood and made her way feebly towards him. When they were just a breath away, her small, trembling hands reached out…stopping just short of his chest.

Shia was scared to touch him. She was afraid that doing so would awaken her from this wonderful dream. There he stood, alive…strong looking. She could feel the warmth of his body radiating in the small space between them. His breath tickled her cheek, and she wanted nothing more than to reach out. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him forever. He made no move to touch her, and she was grateful for that. She had to do this at her own pace. The fact that he was alive was so much to handle already. Slowly…Shia laid her palm over his rhythmically beating heart. He was warm….not like before…on the hill. His chest rose and fell with his breaths…his body was warm with life.

The tears came quickly, streaming over her pale face and soaking into his shirt as she buried her face into his shoulder. Her arms clung desperately to his waist as she sobbed. Gaara allowed his arms to rest around her lightly, not wanting to overwhelm her. He rubbed comforting circles over her small, quaking back. He murmured careful words into her ear. He didn't know what he was saying; he only hoped that she'd stop crying. It was obvious she'd already cried far too much for his sake. After sometime she seemed to calm. Her sobs became but small sniffles, and her breathing returned to normal.

They stayed silent for sometime. Words were unnecessary for the moment. Her arms loosened around his waist, but she did not withdraw. She rested her head comfortably against his chest, and closed her eyes. She breathed in his scent and reveled in his warmth. Shia listened to the periodic thudding of his heart, happiness swirling inside of her. He was alive. Suddenly things didn't seem so hard anymore. Her pregnancy…her marriage…it was okay. He was here now. She was safe.

The Kazekage held on to her gently. He was relieved to see she'd stopped crying. A woman crying was still a very uncomfortable experience for him. He was not practiced in the art of comforting. She seemed contented just resting against him, so he lifted her easily into his arms and sat them both on the bed. She settled herself between his legs, her stomach against his, her chest against his. Her small hand lay, fingers splayed over his heart. He rested his arms contentedly around her waist, feeling her heart beat against his chest evenly.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, finally breaking the silence. She'd tilted her head back slightly so she could look at him.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" he asked, drumming his fingers lightly on her lower back.

"I couldn't save you," she said, eyes growing sad. Without much thought he found himself kissing her temple fondly.

"Don't be ridiculous," was his answer.

"I love you," she said without hesitation, and his heart thudded loudly.

For a few moments they stared at each other silently. Gaara debated with himself over whether he should say anything to her. He loved her, that was true, but he argued with himself about whether it was okay to say so yet. The doubt returned. That feeling of insecurity he'd always had when it came to the subject of love. He didn't want to hurt anymore. 'What should I do?' he thought, anxiety taking over.

It was then that he suddenly realized that Shukaku was gone. Sure…he knew Akatsuki had removed the demon, but now…he really felt it. By now, the demon would have already scolded him for his anxiety and threatened to kill something. He didn't miss it, but it was different, and definitely something he'd have to get used to. His thoughts were interrupted by the light kiss placed on his chest over his heart. He felt himself hold her tighter.

"….I don't want you to marry anyone," he said softly, his stomach jumped nervously as soon as he'd said it. He feared rejection, however useless his doing so was.

"Then it's a good thing I have no intention of doing so, neh?" she said, smiling at him. Relief washed over him.

"What about your clan?" he asked. She sighed.

"I am their leader. They will force me to do nothing," Shia answered determinedly.

"I'm glad…because…" he seemed to hesitate for a moment, "…I…I love you."

He'd done it…he'd taken the risk. His stomach writhed inside of him as if waging war with his other innards. Shia smiled up at him, eyes glowing warmly, and somehow he knew he'd made the right decision. Finally, he'd be able to be happy. Though he was still afraid…he knew his sister's advice was wise. Living in fear was both foolish and impossible for him. He needed to take that risk. For himself as much as for the woman he currently held in his arms.

"Gaara…there's something I have to tell you," she said, suddenly looking nervous. He tensed, wondering if she was having second thoughts already.

"What is it?" he asked, voice almost inaudibly panicked.

"If I tell you…will you promise you'll still love me after?" she asked, looking up at him with wide, scared eyes. 'Nani?' he thought. He was pretty sure that he couldn't stop loving her. Didn't she know that?

"I don't think I can stop now that I've started," he answered innocently, slightly confused.

She smiled at his naiveté. Slowly she turned in his arms so that her back was against his chest. Teal eyes watched puzzled as one of her small hands guided his larger, pale one to rest over her lower stomach. She held it there for a few seconds. Her fingers squeezed his to the warm flesh. Shia let her head fall to his shoulder, and tilted so she could look into his baffled green eyes.

"It may not look like much now, but…in a few months I'll be sporting a rather large bulge there," she said quietly, laughing softly when his gaze turned into an intensely perplexed stare.

"This…" she began, patting his hand on her womb, "…is your legacy."

He thought on those words for a few moments. It took him a few moments to put the clues together in his confused mind. Shock coursed over him swiftly, and he stared down at her in wonder. He noted that she looked a little scared. Shia was gazing anxiously at him, and when his eyes locked with hers her mouth opened to apologize. He silenced her with his lips.

She thought he was angry. How could he be angry? He was going to have a family. Granted…he was only fifteen, but…again, being a ninja who'd just returned from death's doorstep, life was going to move a little faster for him. When he lifted his mouth from hers he found her staring at him in confusion. Gaara's light green eyes turned their attention to her stomach.

"Gaara?"

"You mean…that there's a baby in there?" he asked in complete wonderment. She had to giggle at his utter cuteness.

"Hai, I'm about two months along," Shia answered quietly, watching the emotions flicker over his usually blank features. His hand caressed her stomach affectionately.

"I'm going to be a father…" he stated amazed.

"That you are," she said softly, "I couldn't tell you how happy I am that you're not upset. I love you so much Gaara."

"You'll marry me then?" he asked, shifting his fascinated mint eyes to her face. If she was pregnant, and they were to be a family…it only made sense for them to marry. That, and he wanted to. Her deep blue eyes widened in shock, but slowly a happy grin wound its way onto her face.

"You mean it?" she asked, tears threatening to fall again.

"Why would I have asked if I didn't?" he asked legitimately. She chuckled again at his forwardness.

"Of course I will," Shia said, kissing him again.

"Good…I guess I did the right thing when I sent a letter asking for your hand to the Hokage," he said thoughtfully, she arched a brow at him in question, but laughed anyway.

"I'm glad that you did," she said, burying her face into his shoulder. They stayed that way in silence for a few minutes. Each reflected on what had just happened.

"You'd better rest then," Gaara said, moving to leave, but she clung to him.

"Stay with me," she said, blue eyes pleading, and he found himself unable to say no.

It wasn't long before she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He looked down at his future wife, and reached a hand into his pants' pocket to retrieve the ring he'd meant to present her with. Gaara slid it easily on her finger, sitting back to admire the way it twinkled on her slim digit. She'd be his wife soon. She'd bear his child soon. He rubbed her lower abdomen again. It was amazing to think there was another life in there. His child…they'd be a family.

Akito Complex: Konohagakure

"Tadashi-sama! Hokage-sama is here to speak with you," a servant informed.

"Send her in," the old, frustrated man said sliding a hand over his face.

In walked the woman he knew had something to do with Shia's disappearance. The clues were glaringly obvious. Shia had left without a word and had not been named a missing-nin. He knew that Tsunade hadn't been on board with the marriage, and truthfully, he hadn't been too fond of it himself. It was the law, however, and no matter how much he didn't like it, the majority of the Council refused to budge. Tsunade had been right, he would not condemn his own daughter to such a fate, and in fact he hadn't. His daughter was happily married in Wave Country with her loving husband. The blond Hokage took a seat directly in front of him, regarding him coolly with a small smile.

"Tsunade-sama I trust that you are well," he greeted politely.

"I am, though I could use a cup of sake right about now," she answered truthfully.

"Keiko see to it," he ordered the female servant before directing his attention toward the blond.

"As you may already know, Shia-sama is missing," he started, she rose her brow indifferently.

"She is safe in Sunagakure currently helping on a mission there," she replied easily.

"We both know the truth of this matter so let's get straight to the point. Your personal appearance here shows that whatever news you've brought with you is important enough for a personal delivery," Tadashi explained.

"Perceptive as ever Tadashi-san," she said, taking the cup of sake from the servant and sipping slowly.

"Hn…" he answered. Tsunade placed the cup carefully on the table before looking at him with serious golden brown eyes.

"The Godaime Kazekage of Sunagakure has voiced his interest in taking Shia-san as his bride," she said, getting right to the point. The elder's eyes widened slightly.

"Kazekage-sama is a bright young ninja, fifteen to be exact. The youngest Kage to date, and not to mention one of our greatest allies," she explained. Akito Tadashi processed the information carefully. The match had definite potential.

"What are your thoughts on this Hokage-sama?" he asked, narrowing his eyes skeptically. She smiled at him easily.

"I thought that we could come to a compromise. You want Shia-san to marry…she wants to love. This union is a perfect chance for both, as well as an additional strong bond to hold Sunagakure and Konohagakure together as allies," the Godaime said. His expression became pensive and he was silent for a few moments.

"I agree that this could be beneficial, and I doubt that the Council will turn up their noses at the Kazekage. There will be some conditions with this union, however," Tadashi said in warning.

"State your terms," Tsunade answered.

"The Akito Clan is based in Konoha, but being the wife of the Kazekage, Shia will naturally live in the country of her husband," he began, the blond Hokage nodded her understanding.

"Shia, being Head of Akito House, is to spend at least one week out of every month here, in Konohagakure fulfilling her duties as our leader," he said.

"Every two months, and not until a year has passed," the Godaime bargained expertly, "She will be a wife, and eventually a mother. Her being away for a week every month would be too unstable for the first years of marriage."

"Accepted," the Akito Elder answered.

"Also…as an Akito Leader, and medic, she shall not become some housewife. She will be appointed head medic of Sunagakure Hospital, and be given regular missions as any other shinobi. The exception being while she is with child," he explained.

"I can assure you that Kazekage-sama and the Sunagakure Council of Elders will not allow Shia-san's talents to go to waste, and I will appoint her as a permanent legion between our two nations so that she will remain a citizen of Konoha," the Hokage assured him.

"Our final condition…Shia must produce an heir. The gender is not important, but since she is our leader it will have to be her that gives us the heir. Shia will do so within a year of her marriage, and she will be known as an Akito, even though she will be taking her husband's name," he said.

"Understood. We will simply add his surname to hers, and the heir should not be a problem," Tsunade said, knowing the heir would come sooner than they thought.

"The terms are accepted then?" Tadashi asked.

"Hai," the female Sannin answered.

"I will go talk to the Council now. We shall send you word of our final decision in three hours time," the old man explained.

"Fine," she said, "good day to you Akito-sama."

"And to you Hokage-sama," he said with a slight bow.

Sunagakure Council of Elders

"Then it is decided…Shia-sama and Gaara-sama will wed within two weeks time," Baki said, the other council members grumbled their accord.

"We will send word to Konohagakure now," Temari said before leaving for the mail room.

With the council dismissed, Baki made his way down to the hospital room Gaara was reported to not have left in the last five hours. He highly doubted that Akito House would turn down a marriage proposal from a Kage. It had high political benefits on both ends of the Union. A nurse waved the Jounin over to a closed white door that said '302' on it, and opened the door quietly. The thing that struck him first was Gaara's rather placid expression as he held onto the sleeping form of a frail looking brunette. The intense green eyes of his former student snapped up in their direction almost immediately. The nurse excused herself and left.

"Baki-sensei?" the redhead said softly. It took the older man a few seconds to process the scene.

"Gaara-sama…I take it this is your fiancé," Baki said, quietly so as not to wake the sleeping girl. The Kazekage nodded.

"Has Akito House responded?" Gaara asked.

"Not yet…but I'm positive that they will not turn you away. You are a Kage after all. There are many benefits on both sides to this union," the Jounin explained. Gaara's light eyes fell to the face of his sleeping wife-to-be.

"That doesn't matter. As long as I can have her," he murmured almost too quietly for Baki to hear.

The Sand Jounin remained silent for a few moments. He felt almost relieved, and a little frightened. He'd been with the Sand Siblings since they'd become genin. He almost considered them his own children seeing as he was far more of a father to them than the late Kazekage had ever been. He'd explained the birds and the bees to both Kankurou and Temari. He'd been there when Temari had her first period. It was the most uncomfortable experience of his life, but he'd been there. Even Gaara…even when he was closed off and homicidal. Baki had always worried about the boy. He knew he couldn't possibly understand the pain that the redhead had been through.

But watching him now…seeing the way he gently coddled the sleeping brunette in his pale arms. It was like watching his own son grow up right before him. Deep down from the bottom of his heart he was glad to see someone had come to love Gaara. But…there was that sense of reluctance to let go…as most fathers have. It struck him funny that he'd never even thought of having kids of his own. Now, his youngest Sabaku was getting married. He let a small smile play on his lips, chuckling lightly when Gaara's brow rose questioningly.

"You brats are growing up too fast," he said simply, bowing before he left the room.

The young Kazekage stared puzzled at the spot where his ex-sensei had been standing. He shrugged it off as Baki just being weird, as Kankurou would put it. He'd never actually seen Baki's 'weirdness' in person, but after that little show, he was beginning to see where the puppeteer was coming from. 'No wonder Kankurou's so weird. He spends the most time with Baki,' the redhead thought. His thoughts were broken off when a loud crashing sound came from just down the hall. A blur of black whizzed past the open doorway, and soon another loud crash, accompanied by a louder cry of pain, sounded.

"BAKA! I KNEW I SHOULD'VE GIVEN HIM THE TALK! NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU STUPID, DOLL LOVING IDIOT! STICK TO YOUR TEA PARTIES MORON!" Temari's voice screamed down the hall.

Gaara's green eyes snapped down to look at the surprisingly still sleeping Shia. 'She must really be tired,' he thought. Suddenly he felt the murderous aura of his sister come closer. Glancing up he saw the fuming blond standing in the doorway glaring at him. For the first time in his life, he was truly afraid of his sister.

"So…you knocked her up did you?" she asked in a barely controlled tone as she schooled herself to remain calm and sit. Gaara didn't understand.

"I didn't hit her," he said, almost afraid to speak. Temari's glare turned merciless.

"A fine job that idiot brother of ours did giving you the talk huh?" she asked. Gaara was beyond speech at this point. He'd cleverly surmised that nothing he said would go over well with the seething female.

"Now that you've planted your seeds…" Temari began. Gaara quietly wished she'd stop using metaphors he didn't understand.

"…I suppose you plan to take responsibility for your actions," she said. He just stared at her with a confounded look on his face.

"I don't understand why you're so angry," he ventured, immediately regretting opening his mouth as his sister's eyes became identical to the pits of hell.

"You don't understand…" she chuckled darkly, "…OF COURSE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU DECIDED TO HAVE SEX! .NOTHING! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU COMEPLETE BAKA! AND THAT DAMNED BROTHER OF OURS, COMPLETELY USELESS!" the eldest Sabaku screamed. Gaara stared wide eyed at his sister. Until now, she'd never raised her voice to him.

"Calm down Temari-chan…it was as much my fault as it was either of theirs," Shia's sleepy voice said from beside him. Two pairs of green eyes shot to her, Temari's calming slightly.

"Why? You of all people know how to protect yourself. So why didn't you?" the blond asked in a considerably calmer tone. Shia smiled.

"I hadn't expected it would happen. It was a last minute decision, and honestly…at the time, I highly doubt either of us were worrying about it too much," she answered. Gaara smirked lightly, and Temari grimaced.

"Gross.." was the wind mistress's reply. Her green eyes shifted back to her brother's face, his smirk melting immediately into a rather terrified look. She softened.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Gaara. I'm just worried about you is all. You're my little brother," she said, reaching over to ruffle his hair affectionately. He seemed to calm instantly.

"Why do you always apologize to him? I get blasted through three cement walls but noooo…you don't apologize to me. You yell at him a little and just can't seem to stop yourself," Kankurou complained angrily as he walked into the room. Temari shot him a dangerous look that stopped him in his tracks.

"There's a simple answer to that. He's cuter than you," the blond explained, earning a smirk from her youngest brother, and a glare from the other.

"You're just kissing up to him so he'll let you go to Konoha more often. Right Gaara? You can obviously see she's just buttering you up so she can go fuck the Nara," Kankurou said with a childish pout on. Temari growled at him menacingly.

"He said it not me," Gaara stated, enjoying the look of frightened betrayal his older brother shot at him. Shia had wriggled her way out of his arms, sending him an apologetic smile when he looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Excuse me…" she barely managed before rushing over to the bathroom and kneeling over the toilet.

She threw up again, seriously not enjoying that this wouldn't be the worst part of her pregnancy. There were much more 'wonderful' joys of being pregnant she'd have to endure in the coming months. She flushed the toilet, and washed out her mouth thoroughly before making her way back to the hospital bed. Gaara looked up at her with mild panic in his eyes, which in Gaara language means 'Holy shit are you dying?!'. Shia merely smiled at him, assuring him that it was perfectly normal for her to be doing things like that in her condition. Kankurou, who hadn't been paying attention to her explanation questioned her immediately.

"What'd you do that for?" he asked, referring to her bathroom episode. Temari smirked maliciously at him.

"Isn't it obvious…the sight of your face was just too nauseating for her to handle in her condition," the blond answered easily. Kankurou glared heatedly at her. Gaara turned toward his fiancé.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?" he asked monotonously, referring to his insane, and utterly violent family. She giggled, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"I'm looking forward to it," she answered smiling sweetly as he claimed her lips again. She opened her mouth under his, allowing his seeking tongue to slip into her mouth and dance lightly with hers. She giggled when he nipped at her bottom lip, wrapping her arms around his neck to allow the kiss to deepen.

"Kami-sama! Could you wait until we leave the room?" Kankurou asked, jumping up and making his way towards the door.

"What this idiot means to say is, we'll see you later little brother," Temari translated, letting her fan fall heavily on the back of puppeteer's head.

"Oi! You're going to give me brain damage," he snapped angrily as they left.

"One must have a brain to have brain damage," they heard Temari answer before the voices faded away down the hall. A fairly amused looking nurse entered the room to check on Shia's condition. After announcing the girl seemed much better, she left the couple alone. Seconds later Hatake Kakashi entered the room with the Konoha gang. Naruto was in their faces immediately, and loudly to boot.

"Are you really pregnant Shia-chan?" he asked with narrowed blue eyes in the direction of Gaara. Shia laughed.

"I am…but don't look at him that way. It's not all his fault. It takes two," she scolded lightly, enjoying the blush that made its way over the blonde's tan cheeks. Kakashi held out a scroll to Gaara.

"I think you'll be happy to know that Akito House has accepted your proposal Gaara-kun…I mean Kazekage-sama," the Copy nin corrected immediately.

"I think saving my life merits a drop of formalities," Gaara stated in a bland tone as he read over the terms, he allowed Shia to look them over as well before looking back to the silver haired Jounin.

"The terms are accepted," he said simply, making his way out of the bed. Shia looked up at him with chibi eyes.

"No…don't you do that. I've work to do. I'll be back later," he said, pressing a swift kiss to her soft lips and striding out the door. The others in the room stood stunned for a moment.

"Oh the youthful springtime of love is upon us!" Maito Gai exclaimed loudly after Gaara's little display of affection.

The entire room of people sweat dropped, Neji and Tenten rolled their eyes exasperatedly, while Lee mimicked his sensei jovially. Shia watched her friends, they seemed happy. She was so overwhelmingly happy that Gaara was alive, she couldn't help but giggle and laugh with them. Sakura turned to her with worried green eyes.

"Do you think you can stomach some lunch?" the pinkette asked. Shia nodded and watched as her friend rushed out of the room. Everything was going to be just fine.

Two Weeks Later

"I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Sabaku, our Kazekage and new, honored Kazehime," the head elder of the council announced to the populace of Sunagakure.

He, Gaara, and Shia all stood on the balcony of Kazekage tower, looking over the village. As he tied the symbolic blue and white ribbons to join the two young ninjas' wrists, Gaara leaned in and kissed his new wife. She giggled when the crowd erupted into loud cheers, the loudest being her friends, and his family of course. She was so happy, she couldn't wait to start the rest of her life with him.


	24. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Epilogue

Temari was having that weird feeling of paranoia again as she sat in the tea shop with her 'mission', one Shika-lazy-maru, for lunch. It frightened her, only because about seven months prior she'd had the same feeling, and returned to her village to find her youngest brother kidnapped. She was worried again, and though she tried to hide it from the boy across from her, she knew he could see straight through her façade.

"You're daydreaming again…" he pointed out blandly. She sent him a level glare, but sighed and fidgeted in her seat anyway. There was no point in trying to tell him she was fine; he already knew otherwise. 'Brat's too damn smart for his own good!' she thought angrily. She supposed she could just talk to him about it. He was actually kind of good at making her feel better, even if he did think he knew nothing about women.

"I'm just being paranoid again. I have that feeling that something bad is going to happen," she explained, green eyes coming to rest on his face. His dark eyes seemed to consider her for a minute.

"Tch! Women's intuition has its downsides I see," he muttered, causing a little smile to turn the corners of her lips. 'Geez…does she have to be so…pret…ugch. I won't even think it,' he thought to himself.

"Hnn…I'm sure it's nothing, but just in case…we should start heading towards my house," the blond answered, rising and searching her pack for some money. She carelessly pushed kunai, and shuriken out of the way as she searched for her cash.

"You should be more caref…"

"Hiss! itai!" she hissed out as one of the many sharp, pointy objects in the bag stabbed her. Shikamaru sighed, grabbing her wrist and pulling it up to examine the hand.

Temari flicked her eyes up to his concentrated looking face, watching his dark eyes inspect the rather deep cut in her finger. She then snapped her gaze to his free hand that had traveled into his own bag. More carefully than she'd done it, he fished around for some bandages. Suddenly, the blond Sand kunoichi felt her finger engulfed in a hot wetness. Her eyes snapped up to the Nara, who'd wrapped his soft lips around her finger, as he started to suckle, and lick the blood away.

Temari felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment, why she didn't know. It was a common way to clean a wound without antiseptic cream. It was just…seeing him do it, and feeling the warmth of his tongue lap against her skin was sending tingles to places she was positive had become dormant in all her years of being single. She felt her body get hot, and a little stab of heat to her lower belly as her eyes locked on the suddenly fascinating pair of lips attached to her skin.

Shikamaru didn't know why he did it, but he was too lazy to find his antibacterial cream in his overstuffed bag. It was troublesome enough finding the bandages, and he didn't want to end up like her. Though he didn't suppose he'd be opposed to her sucking on his finger. 'No! Damnit!' he cursed himself. After he deemed the wound clean, and blood flow stunted enough, he took the thin bandage from his bag. Quickly he wrapped it around her slender finger. He could still taste the tangy, but spicy flavor of her tanned skin on his tongue and unconsciously licked his lips. After tying the bandage tight enough, he put the remaining roll back into his pack. He glanced up at the older teen, and felt his heart speed up a little bit.

She hadn't moved. Her hand was still stretched out in the space between them. She stood frozen, with wide, confused, and glazed emerald eyes. Her full, pink lips hung open just slightly in a tiny gape, while the ridge of her nose and across her cheeks was stained red with a blush. She looked oddly cute then…and somehow, even though he knew he'd regret the decision later, he couldn't stop himself from doing what he did next.

The eldest Sabaku gasped in a short breath as she watched the younger nin lean forward slightly. His lids fell over dark, lazy eyes, and his lips pressed gently against hers in a shy…but inviting kiss. Temari stayed frozen, unsure of what to do, but let her eyes fall shut when his rough, strong hands slid up her arms and pulled her closer. There was barely a breath of air between them, but it was enough to make her skin tingle with anticipation of contact. He tilted his head to the side, sliding his lips against hers with a little more confidence as she finally reacted. The blond let her hands glide up his hard, broad chest to wrap her arms around his neck and parted her mouth under his in invitation. She barely suppressed a shiver when his strong arms contracted around her small waist.

Shikamaru nearly groaned when those soft, responsive lips opened under his. It was a clear invitation which he took gladly, slipping his tongue into the warm cavern of her mouth, and skimming it around slowly. She tasted like tea and sweet dumplings…her lunch, but mixed with a certain spice that made his fifteen year old hormones race through his blood at top speed. He never thought he'd ever kiss Temari, but now that he was doing it, it just felt…right. They parted for air after a few moments; she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Why did you…" she started.

"No…no questions. Just enjoy the moment," he interrupted, holding her for just a few seconds more before releasing her and locking eyes. She looked hesitant and a little scared…something he wasn't used to.

"Let's make our way back to the house. I'll take care of the bill," he said, fishing some bills out of his pocket and tossing them on the table. By the time he was ready to leave, Temari seemed to have regained her composure. They left the shop silently, and continued in silence for a while as they walked.

"Nara, you confuse me," she said, breaking the silence. He looked over at her pensive expression.

"Hn?" he said. Her striking green eyes locked with his.

"You call me the most troublesome woman you know and yet…you…you do something like that. Without even warning me!" Temari explained. He sighed.

"Alright, well next time I'll be sure to let you know when I'm planning to kiss you," he said, 'No sense in denying it. I want to kiss her. I liked kissing her. And I would like to possibly date her if she'll have me. She may be bothersome and bossy, but she' s the only woman I know who can keep up with me intellectually. She the only challenge. It'd be too troublesome to continue denying what I know I want,' he thought as he watched those emerald orbs widen considerably.

"Next time? Who says there's gonna be a next time?! I'm not the kind of girl who swaps spit with all her guy friends just because!" she exclaimed angrily, green eyes burning with fury. She certainly looked pretty when she was angry.

"Hai…hai…I know you bothersome female! Don't get all fussy. I promise the next time will happen on a proper date," he said in his usual tone. She opened her mouth to spit something angry back at him before what he said registered in her mind. Her fury faltered into confusion.

"Did you just ask me out?" she asked incredulously.

"I did," he answered, fighting down the sudden anxiety that filled his rapidly beating heart.

"Nara! Don't toy with me! It's not funny!" she hissed, and quicker than her confused, angry mind could see it, he'd pulled her against him again. An arm wrapped around her waist, and a hand rested under her chin, lifting it just slightly so he could lock eyes with her.

"You don't believe me? How about tomorrow night? We'll go wherever you want," he said in a lazy, yet sincere tone. She blinked slowly once, still shocked but quickly regained her cool in that way he loved about her.

"Fine, but you're paying and you'd better not say troublesome, or bothersome, or any other 'somes' unless you want me to kill you. You'd better show me a good time Nara, because I'm sick of losers who aren't any fun taking me out," she ordered, moving out of his arms to stride ahead of him. He suppressed a chuckle. 'Man she's so bossy,' he thought.

"Hai…hai," he drawled, internally surprised when she hooked her slender arm in his. They continued on towards Kazekage Manor.

Ramen Shop

"Man Shia-chan sure got big didn't she? I never thought that skinny little girl could be so HUGE!" Naruto exclaimed bluntly, and quite rudely. Sakura fixed him with a firm glare.

They'd stopped in Sunagakure to rest for a few days after their most recent attempt to save Sasuke. Gaara had welcomed them in with open arms, and the team had the pleasant surprise of meeting both Shikamaru and Hinata. Hinata had come on a mission to help out Shia's very pregnant self around the house, while Shikamaru was here in place of the Hokage, who couldn't make it for a diplomatic meeting. Things in Konoha had been a little crazy since Pein, the leader of Akatsuki, had killed Jiraiya. Having finally had to resort to his female partner, Konan's help. The Toad Sannin took the dark haired female with him, infuriating Pein to no end.

The body had been returned in one piece, with a declaration of attack accompanying it. All the senior Jounin and elite ANBU were grounded to the village in anticipation of the attack. Tsunade hadn't left her office, the security around her being so tight…every piece of lint that entered her quarters was accounted for. It was Sakura's master who'd suggested they stay in Suna for a few days. She'd told them that it wasn't safe for Naruto to travel, with Akatsuki out for blood, and that she'd send word when she deemed it clear.

"Naruto! Don't be rude!" Sakura shouted, punching him in the back of the head hard. Hinata, who'd joined them for lunch giggled a little, blushing when a blond head fell into her lap. Big royal blue eyes looked up at her with a pleading stare.

"Hinata-chan….tell Sakura-chan not to hit me anymore," he whined with huge puppy eyes. She felt herself melt.

"You're lucky you dolt! If Shia'd heard that she'd have killed you in the most horrifying way possible," Sakura said, glaring down at him. He pouted back for a few seconds, rubbing his new lump with his hand, but not removing his head from the Hyuuga's lap.

"N…Naruto-kun…um…ano," she stumbled, hands in the air trembling. The blush on her face was dark, but adorable, and Naruto found himself unable to control himself. He nuzzled her flat stomach through her sweatshirt, breathing in the scent.

"Mmm…Hina-chan…you smell really good," he started with a sly smirk, "ano..do you think you could nurse me back to health?" he asked, blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

The blush darkened, as the shy Hyuuga stuttered uncontrollably, and quite indecipherably. He grinned foxily up at her, thinking she looked pretty cute when she was all flustered like that. Her wide moonlike eyes looked everywhere but at him, and when they did, they widened even more. She had her pale hands were on either side of her face, grasping her cheeks as they became more and more flushed. Her dark hair fell like a curtain around her soft features, framing her pale face perfectly.

Naruto vaguely wondered why he never noticed how pretty she was. He'd always been fixated on Sakura he supposed. Suddenly her red face went pallid and her eyes rolled ever so slightly. She'd begun to look faint when he felt himself wretched from his position on Hinata's warm lap and thrown up against the nearest wall...or more through the nearest wall.

"DON 'T BE SUCH A PERVERT! GEEZ!" Sakura screamed with a rather frightening expression contorting her usually pretty features. In an instant Hinata was at the blonde's side, helping him up and filtering some comforting chakra into his bruised skull.

"Naruto-kun? Are you okay?" the shy girl asked worriedly. Groan

"Damn I think I actually hurt him this time," Sakura said in an exasperated voice, a little concern coming through the fury. Hinata stroked the blond locks soothingly.

"Naruto-kun? Can you hear me?" the raven haired girl asked. K.O

"Here's his Hotel room key, could you take him there while I take care of some things?" Sakura said. 'Like the bill for one,' she thought. Hinata nodded, tossing the unconscious blonde's arm over her shoulder and leaping off in the direction of the hotel.

Kazekage Tower

Gaara walked into his house in deep thought. It'd been almost seven months since they'd been married, and the road had not been smooth to say the least. They argued…a lot….and with her pregnancy, Shia's hormones were completely discombobulated. She had violent (quite literally) mood swings that usually left him sore, physically and emotionally exhausted. They butted heads on a lot of subjects. During her later months of pregnancy he'd requested that she stay at home, and rest until she had the baby. She refuted his wish, vehemently, because she felt she was strong enough to take care of herself.

There was also the trying pressure of being Kazekage that weighted him down. He'd been distant, he knew, for a few weeks, and it was pressing his new wife's nerves. She asked him what was wrong, and he just put up the front he knew she could see through, but felt safe behind. It had been a long argument, and they had both said some things to each other that were hurtful. They didn't talk for almost two weeks, and finally his siblings, and her friends intervened to get them to reconcile. They were locked in a room alone together, for hours, until they finally decided to talk to one another.

(Flashback)

Shia sat facing the far wall and refusing to acknowledge his presence in the room. Gaara leaned against the opposite wall, staring at her back and hoping she'd just talk to him. He knew he'd said some hurtful things. He'd told her he didn't need her, that he didn't want her to be near him because all she did was anger him. He even questioned his reasoning behind loving her, to which she'd called him an asshole, slapped him and yelled her own hurtful things back.

She'd said he was a human ice sculpture, incapable of emotion. Someone who couldn't open up no matter how much the other person tried. She'd told him never to speak to her again, that she'd rather be married to a glacier than him at the time. He knew he deserved it, and that part of this was her irate hormones speaking, but it had hurt nonetheless. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a sniffle from the other side of the room. 'Great now she's crying,' he thought, berating himself for making her do so.

"I just don't get it," he heard her quiet, quivering voice say. He focused his attention on her. She turned to face him with teary, navy blue eyes.

"I've tried everything to get you to be open about your feelings. I love you so much Gaara, I always tell you what's on my mind. Why don't you trust me?" she asked, tears flowing down her pretty face, he felt his heart clench. He'd made her cry a lot during these last rocky months. He moved closer, and wrapped her in his arms.

"It has nothing to do with you. I'm sorry. I do love you, and I know why. Everything about you makes me love you. You're so forgiving, and sweet, and you love me, despite knowing what I've done... I'm sorry that it's so hard for me still, but I'll try harder. I do trust you Shia…it's just sometimes…" he trailed off, she looked at him expectantly.

"You can tell me how you feel Gaara. I'm your wife, your friend, and I'm carrying our child. We've got to be able to communicate if this marriage is going to work," she said, and he knew she was right. He sighed.

"Sometimes I'm afraid that this is all too good to be true. I fear that somehow, I'll wake up, and this'll all have been a dream. You'll be gone, and I'll be alone again," he said, burying his face in her sweet smelling hair. She placed a soft kiss in the crook of his neck.

"I'll never leave you. Even if you hurt me, and push me away. I'll be angry, I'll be cold, but I'll never leave you. I couldn't live without you," she assured him, and he tightened his hold on her. They stayed like that for a long time before forgiving each other, and kissing affectionately.

(end flashback)

They had arguments after that, but he was always assured that she'd never leave him. Finally at month eight, she agreed to stay off her feet as much as possible, and he was more open about what was bothering him. He found that telling her made him feel better, and she always had the right words to calm him. They'd been intimate throughout the pregnancy, but to avoid any problems they stayed away from intercourse. He smiled at the thought that she knew every place that made his blood boil, and he knew every place that made her see stars.

"OH MY GOD!" Shia's voice shrieked throughout the house. Gaara rushed towards the direction of the sound. He thrust the door to their bedroom open only to find his wife doubled over, and panting harshly in pain. She didn't even seem to notice his presence.

"What's wrong?!" he heard Temari's voice yell from where she'd suddenly appeared. His sister's green eyes took in the scene and widened.

"We have to get her to the hospital now!" she exclaimed, he nodded and rushed forward. He tossed Shia's arm over his shoulder for support as she continued to heave breathes unevenly.

"Nnn…it's coming!" she cried out, chest heaving. It was then that he saw the slight dampness on the rug where her water must have broken. He turned to Temari.

"She can't make it to the hospital in this condition, Sakura-san and Hinata-san should still be in the village from their recent mission. Go get Sakura, she is the only one I trust with this," he ordered. His sister nodded and preformed the transportation seals as fast as she could. Gaara got his wife settled on the bed.

"Gaara!" Shia cried, he took her hand and squeezed.

"I'm here. I'm right here Shia. It's okay," he said, watching as she screwed her eyes shut tight and tried to breath through the next contraction.

"Breathe with me love," he said. She opened her pained, dark blue eyes and nodded. Her small hand held his tightly as she took a deep breath in with him.

"Ahnnnn!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. He kissed them away in hopes of comforting her a little.

He worried a little about this over the last seven months. Their child had been conceived when Shukaku was still inside his body. He worried that the demon may have left a lasting mark on his baby. If so, Shia's life was currently in danger. He heard Sakura, Hinata, and his sister enter the room. He could sense Shikamaru guarding the door. The pinkette immediately began shouting orders. She removed Shia's lower clothing and began work. Hinata activated her Byakugan in order to make sure everything went smoothly.

"Try to keep her as calm as possible. It'll be harder on her if she's too wild," Sakura told him. He nodded, cringing a little as his wife's tiny hand squeezed his with unfathomable strength.

"Shia…love…you've got to calm down. We're all here, your friends are here. Breathe," he said, she seemed to calm a little. Her eyes opened to reveal their red and teary state. He leaned to kiss her temple and she smiled weakly.

"Shia-chan," Sakura's voice said, the brunette looked down at her best friend.

"Concentrate on breathing through the contractions. When I tell you to push, push as hard as you can okay?" she said, the other nodded.

It was a long and grueling labor…fourteen hours to be exact. Every second of it, Gaara was sure a year was shaved off his life. He feared for his wife….for their infant child. Sakura kept reassuring him that everything was fine, but it wasn't until Hinata, with her Byakugan eyes, assured him that he felt even the slightest relieved. Currently, Shia was breathing heavily with closed eyes, trying to regain some strength. Sakura had taken the baby into another room to clean and inspect him. Hinata cleaned Shia up, and pulled a sheet over the other girl's weakened form.

"Oh he's beautiful," Sakura's voice said from the door.

In her arms was a tiny bundle, with little hands sticking out of the sheets and grasping for anything. The rosette walked over to place the child into his mother's hands. Shia looked down at her son, placing her finger in his small palm and allowing him to grasp on to it. He had his father's shocking hair, but appeared to have his mother's dark eyes. Of course, all newborns have dark eyes, so it'd be a few weeks before they actually see the real color of his eyes.

He was beautiful, Shia felt her lips turn up in a smile. Everything that had happened in the last few months. The first rocky months of their marriage, and all their arguments suddenly meant nothing. She turned to her husband, who had his jade eyes trained on their little child. They were a family now, and she loved them both.

"What do you think of Senji for the name?" she asked Gaara softly, he looked up at her and smiled.

The newborn let out a little coo as his Aunt Temari tickled him a little. She new he wouldn't develop the ticklishness for a while yet, but Senji was just so cute she couldn't resist. 'I can't believe Gaara had kids before me,' she thought. Though she was happy for her brother…she couldn't help but feel like she might enjoy settling down soon, and starting a family of her own.

"I like it," he said, fingering some of the silky crimson hair on the baby's head.

"Sabaku no Senji," Sakura murmured as she filled out the birth certificate.

"Do you want to hold him?" Shia asked. Gaara faltered for a minute. The baby was so tiny and fragile. He was almost afraid he couldn't be gentle enough.

"Hold out your arms Gaara-san," Hinata chimed in, moving forward to adjust his arms properly.

Shia placed their now sleeping son into his arms, and suddenly a wave of emotion hit him. Here he was holding his child in his arms. His beautiful son; it was unreal. He never thought the day would come where he'd be married and start a family. But here he was, sitting next to his wife, holding their child. Shia giggled a little bit at his stiff position. It was almost as if he feared he'd break the baby. Temari smiled, and snapped a picture. Gaara tossed a glare to her. He hated pictures.

"Hey don't you pout at me young man! This'll be the first addition to your family albums," the blond said smiling. He rolled his eyes as his wife giggled again. He looked down at little Senji again, inspecting him for any signs of….

"You'll be happy to know that upon Hinata-chan's inspection of little Senji here, she found no traces of Shukaku in his chakra or anywhere in his person," Sakura said, green eyes staring fondly at the child.

"Hai," Hinata affirmed, cooing at the cute baby.

Gaara sighed in relief, at least he knew his son would never have to go through what he did. He would love and care for his new family the way his father never did with the original. His son would grow up with every opportunity. He'd have playmates and loving parents. He'd have uncles and aunts who liked spending time with him, and maybe one day he'd have cousins. He knew the Council had been putting even more pressure on Temari since she turned eighteen to get married. It wouldn't be long before she did, he knew it.

"I love you Gaara," he heard Shia say. He looked into her weary, blue eyes. They were warm, welcoming, and loving, just as they'd always been.

"And I you Shia," he said, "I never thought it was possible"

"Nani?" her sleepy voice questioned. He kissed her cheek.

"For me to be happy..." he whispered in her ear.

She smiled at him then, comfortingly, and leaned in to place a kiss on his lips. He held her there for a few moments, until Senji started to squirm between them. They broke apart, chuckling at the little baby's whines. Shia patted the spot next to her on the bed, so Gaara climbed in, wrapping an arm around his wife and child. He kissed them both, then asked her to sleep, which she did, almost instantly. Temari snapped another picture, earning her a heartfelt glower from the youngest Sabaku.

"Don't be such a spoil sport! This is a big deal for me. I'm an auntie!" she exclaimed, looking near happy tears.

Suddenly an arm wrapped around her small waist. Gaara looked up to see the lazy Leaf-nin he knew his sister was so fond of. She looked surprised, and she was blushing, to which he snorted. When her green eyes locked with his, he smirked knowingly at her, earning a rueful glare from the elder. His smirk only grew wider at what Shikamaru said next.

"I think eight children would be nice don't you darling?" the Nara asked in an amused tone, not looking up from the newborn and his family. Temari sputtered stupidly for a few seconds. Then her green eyes narrowed into slits of Hellish emerald fury.

"BAKA! THWACK!"

"Ow…" the genius drawled lazily.

Temari's eyes narrowed glaring at the Nara maliciously. The brunette male's lips came in contact with her left cheek, causing her green eyes to widen and stare incredulously. Gaara actually laughed outright at his sister's shock, watching as a small smirk appeared on the Nara's face. 'Anyone who can get Temari to lose herself like that is a friend of mine,' the redhead thought, sincerely impressed with the way the Nara knew just the right buttons to press. Temari was currently growling rather loudly.

"Maa…you're going to wake the baby," the younger nin said, turning his lazy eyes on the eldest Sabaku. Her glare became feral, and Gaara was sure she was about to kill the other right there.

"I would appreciate it if no blood was shed in the presence of my son," the Kazekage said simply, his sister's angry eyes snapped to him, melting into an apology.

"You're right…let's go Nara" she growled, grabbing the boy's ear and pulling him out of the room. Gaara saw Shikamaru barely contain a laugh.

"I just asked you a question you troublesome woman," he said with fake innocence.

(Growl!)

"Don't ask me things like that! Who says I want to have lazy little Nara-bakas?!" Gaara heard his sister hiss before the door closed. The redhead snickered. Hinata and Sakura excused themselves soon after, and left him alone with his new family. He looked down at Shia's peacefully sleeping face…then to Senji's. His heart swelled with happiness as the final missing piece was filled in. He unconsciously squeezed his wife and son closer.

'I know that there are probably more tough times to come. Marriage is not an easy arrangement. But…to hold them like this…being this happy…it makes it all worth it in the end,' he thought.

End


End file.
